Keter Canada recently partnered with the Ronald McDonald House in Ontario via the company’s Green Spaces initiative.

As any parent can attest, worrying about your child is a full-time job. When that child has health issues that cause financial and logistical hardship, everything gets more difficult and nothing else matters. Keter Canada, the Canadian branch of Keter, the world’s leading resin-based consumer products company, is doing what it can to help make a trying and emotional journey somewhat easier for the families that have to live it. 

Keter, which among other items manufactures sustainable outdoor furniture and various accoutrements to enjoy outdoor spaces, is partnering with Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada, specifically the South Central Ontario House, to provide the equipment and labor to make it usable for the families that are staying there. 

Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing temporary housing accommodations to families with seriously ill minors who need to travel in order to access the necessary medical care their young ones need. As one can imagine, with all the issues and stressors placed on those families during that time, a safe and comforting place is incredibly helpful. 

RMHCC runs 33 programs across Canada, consisting of 15 individual Ronald McDonald Houses, all of which provide families with shelter close to the medical facility where they’re receiving treatment. 

These locations range from the northeastern corner of the country in Nova Scotia to the southwestern part of the country in Vancouver and in most major cities in between, including Montreal, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the province of Ontario, which includes Toronto.

Each house is owned and operated by its own charitable organization, but the McDonald’s franchisees often work in conjunction with the houses to raise funds. One such event is known as McHappy Day, a day on which a portion of the proceeds from participating McDonald’s restaurants goes directly to either RMHCC or other children’s charities. The event raised more than $5.7 million in 2022. 

Keter Green Spaces

Keter, long a supporter of the communities in which it operates, developed a campaign called Keter Green Spaces, a program that teaches children how to properly plant flora and instructs on how sustainable growth is achieved. 

The Keter program is hands-on, with Keter employees literally getting their hands dirty giving demonstrations. In addition to the educational opportunities, Keter often donates products to the outdoor and green spaces in the form of chairs, tables, trash receptacles, and other items that are useful in gardens. 

That’s where Keter comes into play with RMHCC. Keter Canada donated time and products to the Serenity Garden, an outdoor space and green area adjacent to the RMHCC South Central Ontario. 

During the warmer months, the garden is a refuge for families and their children, providing places for play, relaxation, and even barbecues. 

To help facilitate those events, Keter donated items such as the Darwin Raised Garden Bed, the Patio Store small shed, and multiple Alpine Adirondack chairs (the latter of which add a splash of color). 

Keter also has given Curver Home products such as jute baskets, LatchPro storage boxes, Deco wastebaskets, and other necessary gear. 

These efforts will help support RMHCC in providing a sanctuary for those who are staying at the house. 

In addition to helping those who are staying at RMHCC, the work has proved fulfilling for the Keter employees who help with the setup and delivery. Employees said the “act of giving, even in a seemingly modest way, left them with an overwhelming sense of pride.”

Together

Keter’s business model is built on sustainability, and that model can’t work without partnerships. While clearly active in the charitable realm, Keter also partners with recycling companies and clients to minimize its carbon footprint, make sure it’s educating its consumers on sustainable living, and optimize collaborations with clients. 

Keter’s work with Decathlon, the global sports equipment manufacturer, on a very specific issue of resin and/or plastic waste — clothes hangers — is a good example. 

Decathlon recycles plastic clothing hangers but wasn’t able to do so in Israel, where Keter is headquartered, which caused plastic hangers to end up in the trash. 

Keter set up collection points at every Decathlon store in Israel and, after one year, had collected more than 20 metric tons of hangers.

Additionally, Keter is working with two large retailers in Europe to develop projects to collect plastic scrap and waste that builds up in the retailer’s logistical centers and send them to Keter for recycling and reuse.

Keter’s desire to have a positive impact on the communities in which it works and operates via its Keter Green Spaces initiatives continues to bear fruit for those most in need.

And for the kids at the Ronald McDonald House, forgetting about their health issues, if even for a little bit while outside enjoying the sun and flowers, is something that is impossible to measure and worth every ounce of energy it takes.