The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western New York care for families with sick or injured children who are receiving their medical treatment in Buffalo. They provide services that are set to remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need health care. Collecting donations of pull or pop tabs is one way they earn money to pay for general operating expenses.

Shelly and Claire Schenck and their family recently spent time collecting these pop tabs, both as a family and from neighboring communities, and donated 2,000 pounds. The house means a lot to them, offering a place to stay when Claire Schenck was battling brain cancer in 2020.

“As a family we decided to donate to the Ronald McDonald House, pay it forward if you will,” Shelly Schenck said. “Personally, we have a connection with the House. It became important to us on such a different level. Our daughter Claire and I stayed there numerous times when she was receiving treatment at Roswell. The Ronald McDonald House provided us with a comfortable place to stay along with meals whenever we needed them. They were there for us in a time in our lives that we never thought would happen and all during Covid.”

Marketing and Communications Director with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of WNY, Darlene Wilber, said the house is very grateful for the donation from the Schencks and those around them. She added that they were glad they were able to help them back in 2020 as well.

Claire Schenck, who stayed with her mother, Shelly, during her fight with brain cancer in 2020 at the Ronald McDonald House. The family now gives back by making large donations of pop tabs each year.

“We are grateful that the Ronald McDonald House in Buffalo could provide comfort to Shelly and Claire during their time of need,” Wilber said. “We hope they continue to make positive progress on their medical journey. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Schenck family, Clymer residents, and everyone else who collected aluminum pull tabs to support our mission. Your continuous pull tab donations help keep families together and close to the care they need when they need it most. Please keep those pull tabs and other donations coming. Our guest families truly need and appreciate our programs and services, and your support is vital to their success.”

This is not the first time the Schencks have donated to the Ronald McDonald House, having done similar deliveries for the last several years. The pop tabs are brought into the house and then brought to recycling centers in return for funds to provide housing, meals, toiletries and more for families staying at the house. Schenck said the family will continue to donate in this way as long as they are able.

“It’s odd to say that we were lucky to have this opportunity to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, but we were,” Schenck said. “We have met some wonderful people with this organization and made some long-lasting friendships along the way. What they do for families who are put into a situation that they never imagined is amazing. The House is a home away from home, a place to rest, a place to feel comforted. The Ronald McDonald House is there for the family. As small as these tabs are, they net the most money from the can when turned in and provide so much for the House in the long run.”

Deliveries the Schencks have made over the last few years are made possible with the help of the surrounding communities. Schenck said they are grateful for everyone who collects each year.

“Our deliveries we have made over the years wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of the community we live in and the surrounding communities,” Schenck said. “Clymer Central School makes a large donation every year as does Corry, Pa., Jamestown and the Clymer Amish community. We are grateful for all of them. Keep saving those tabs.”

Pictured is Claire Schenck, who along with her family and neighboring communities recently collected 2,000 pounds of pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Submitted photo