On April 15th, the Baumann family dropped off gallons of aluminum tabs at the Ronald McDonald House. To-date, they’ve brought in bags and boxes, which were collected by the family and students at Lincoln School. The aluminum is recycled and funds garnered go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City. 

“RMHC ensures that children who are sick or injured do not have to be along in their time of need while at Children’s Mercy Hospitals,” said Christa Baumann. “They provide housing, meals, and more to families while carrying for their children.”

The tabs are purchased at market value by a local metal company, who gives an additional donation on top of each round of tabs, adding to the charity’s bank account.  

Baumann said the family began collecting tabs after multiple family members spent time at the children’s hospital, including their son, Kamden, who is now 2.

“Our first encounter with Ronald McDonald House Charities was when my niece, Aubrey, was born in 2019.” Aubrey had a congenital diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), which required immediate medical intervention from a neonatal specialist. After a medical jet flight to KC from Salina, Aubrey spent two weeks in the NICU. Baumann said during that time, her sister and brother-in-law were given a private room next to the hospital. They also had access to a full kitchen stocked with food and toiletries.

All of this at no charge to the family. 

Baumann said she was amazed at the help given to her family in a stressful time, even more so that it didn’t come with a hefty price tag. 

“Little did I know that my own immediate family would have an even more personal connection with RMHC in a few short years,” she said. When 20 weeks pregnant with Kamden, her fourth child, Baumann and her husband, Kaid, were given dire news. She began traveling to the hospital for frequent appointments and overnight stays, which continued after his birth. 

“Instead of having out-of-pocket expenses for hotels and meals, we were able to stay at the RMHC.

The family’s connection to the charity grew further when a nephew was admitted for another illness. Again, family members were housed for free and fed from the fully-stocked kitchen while their child was cared for.  

Ever since, they’ve been collecting aluminum tabs and dropping them off at Kamden’s appointments, which have tapered off to every two to three months. That includes collecting at home, work, and at Lincoln School, where Baumann is a teacher. 

“I encourage staff to save the tabs off any aluminum beverage-type can,” she said. Five-gallon buckets sit in designated areas, where staff and students can place their tabs. “I even encourage my students to bring them from home.”

Now, the Baumanns drop off tabs each time they visit Kansas City for an appointment. They load the tabs in their family vehicle, and said there’s an easy drop-off point at RMCH. 

“The last visit was the most that I have ever taken to donate,” she said. (pictured) “This was due to the previous teachers at LES who helped to collect the tabs and stored them in the basement.” She said that meant taking bags of tabs that had been previously collected. 

However, she doesn’t want the program to become a distraction to students or staff.

“I am still exploring how the program can work additionally within the building without being a burden.” 

More can be learned about the donation program at the Ronald McDonald website.