Horry County Memorial Libraries are part of an impactful initiative to help keep families close while their children are hospitalized for medical treatment.
The county’s 11 library branches and bookmobile serve as the only dedicated pop tab collection sites in Horry County for the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).
“Every tab you donate helps us keep our doors open and provide a temporary ‘home-away-from home’ for families of critically ill children,” according to a page on the RMHC Charleston website.
The libraries started collecting aluminum tabs in 2023 as part of a Summer Reading Series focused on public outreach.
What was meant to be a temporary program turned into a year-round initiative at the request of RMHC.
“The didn’t have a collection point here in Horry County, so we decided we would be that collection point for them,” explains Megan Deal, a Branch Librarian with Horry County Memorial Libraries.
Those wishing to donate can find designated RMHC boxes at all of the County’s libraries. Donations of any size are accepted whether it’s one pop tab or one box full of tabs.
“The community gets excited because they have a place to drop them off. They don’t necessarily have to wait for a large collection. People come in all the time to bring their books back and just bring us a Ziploc baggie full or drop a few in one of the collection boxes,” says Deal.
During their most recent trip to MUSC, Horry County Memorial Libraries provided RMHC with 597 pounds of pop tabs.
“The recycling center provides us with a check based on the weight and price of aluminum at that time, which can fluctuate from 35 to 85 cents a pound,” according to RMHC. “This money is used for our general operating expenses; meaning it truly helps keep our doors open to continue to serve more than 800 families annually.”
Visit the Horry County Memorial Libraries website to find a branch near you.