PhoenixOnline article by Amelia Campbell ’26
A nonprofit charity dedicated to supporting families with sick children, the Ronald McDonald house offers a home away from home for families in need. It provides lodging, meals and support near hospitals to reduce financial and emotional burdens. Senior Caitlyn Powell, a member of the RMH youth council, came up with an idea to fundraise items to help their cause.
Caitlyn states, “This drive is much more than just bringing supplies to school-by donating, you are spreading charity and love to families that are going through the hardest times of their lives. All utilities, bedrooms, and meals are free of charge to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House and mostly everything comes from donations alone.”
Generous giving from Kellenberg students allowed for its continuation with just the sharing of household items that may be otherwise taken for granted. Fundraisers like these provide families with the security to make their sick child their top priority, without having to worry about additional expenses.
This drive served as a competition between the Latin School and Freshman homerooms. Mr. White explains, “Our Latin School GSO (General Student Organization) and Freshman GSO came together to run an enthusiastic competition to see which homeroom could collect the most items like paper towels, cleaning supplies and bottle water. In all, we collected over 600 items, with homeroom 6D and 9M winning the Latin School and Freshman division competitions, respectively.”
As the supply drive comes to an end, it is clear that this was about more than just collecting items for charity—it was about coming together as a school to help families going through tough times. Every donation, no matter how small, added up to something meaningful and displayed Kellenberg Memorial shows up for those that need it.
