No one knew what Ruth Hana was doing when she’d jump into a dumpster and pull out cans, only to take the pop tab off and throw the can back. She was 91 years old; it was odd, to say the least. Little did these people know that Ruth’s collection of pop tabs would help many lives. When Ruth Hana dug through the trash and hopped into dumpsters without a second thought, onlookers were confused about her intentions. Ruth wasn’t homeless, and people around town knew who she was, yet no one thought to stop in their tracks and ask the older lady what she was doing. They’d soon find out.
People might not have understood, but Ruth was on a mission.
Ruth was 91 years old and had no issue with people staring at and judging her. She was alone most of her life and was used to the feeling. Even so, she was oddly thankful for her lonely years growing up; anything different, and Ruth would not be the person who jumped into dumpsters—and for a good reason.
Each day, Ruth made it her mission to sift through as much garbage as she could. Her hope was to find cans—soup, soda, or other food—that had a pop tab. No one knew why the older lady was so hyperfocused on finding tabs, and Ruth didn’t humor them with the why since no one asked.
The indefinite strike of the garbage collection service of Salt Jona continued; this was not a new development. Townspeople watched Ruth for years as she hopped into dumpsters and searched through people’s trash. They were confused, and some were even grossed out. Ruth didn’t mind their judgment, though, because she knew what she was doing and why she was doing it. The tabs were important.
Even though Ruth knew what she was doing was important and would pay off in the end, it didn’t stop people from giving her disapproving looks. Some even went as far as telling her, “You’re too old to be doing anything like this.” Comments like that made Ruth shake her head. Just because she was old didn’t mean she had to sit around all day doing nothing.
Eventually, Ruth moved out of her home and into a retirement house. The facility was nice, and the staff was understanding when Ruth brought along her large collection of tabs. She was grateful they allowed her collection, as it was against the rules to have so much clutter in a room. While the retirement home was comfortable, Ruth missed being able to go out.
She missed her freedom. Just because she was confined to the home’s grounds didn’t mean she was going to give up her mission. Each day, Ruth would go through all of the trash, collecting more and more tabs. At the end of each day, Ruth would sit in her room and count all of the tabs she’d collected before adding them to the boxes, jugs, and other holding containers she had littered over her room.
As the townsfolk were, the people in the retirement home were confused as to why Ruth was so fascinated with collecting pop tabs. Ruth was eager to get to 1 million pop tabs. When she finally found the last tab to add to her collection, everyone at the retirement home gathered around to witness her success. Even while they were cheering her on, the onlookers were more than eager to learn what it was all for. Still, Ruth didn’t tell anyone what the huge collection was for or why she went through all that trouble to find the tabs. It had taken years, and she wasn’t about to brag about it.
But after all the judgment and mean looks, Ruth finally completed her mission and was ready to hand the tabs off. All Ruth did was smile at her collection. Then she went back to her room, put on her shoes, and grabbed a jacket. Afterward, she asked the staff at the retirement home if they would help her load all of the boxes of her 1 million pop tabs into the home’s van. The staff was eager to help Ruth, if for no other reason than the clutter would finally be gone, but they were still curious as to why, after all this time, Ruth wanted to get rid of the tabs. It seemed like the bits of metal were important to the lady. Why would she give them up?
Once all of the tabs were in the van, Ruth handed the driver a tiny piece of paper. It had an address written on it, and soon Ruth’s actual mission with her collection would be complete. Along with two staff members, the driver took off to the address, wondering what was in store. When they got there, the bus driver pulled up in front of a large building. Everyone was confused as to why they were there—well, everyone except Ruth. She had made an appointment and knew they were expecting her. That’s when a man dressed in a suit walked out the front door, going straight to the van and asking if she was Ruth. The gentleman took Ruth’s hand and said, “Mrs. Hana, so great to finally meet you.” He got very emotional once he saw the sheer number of pop tabs Ruth brought along.
Ruth was donating her entire collection of tabs to the nonprofit Ronald McDonald House charity. The question, though, was why. As it turned out, this wasn’t the first time Ruth took it upon herself to help those in need. She often donated to charity and helped out where she could. The Ronald McDonald House, though, held a special place in her heart. It helped facilitate programs for families with children in need, namely those with an illness. She held the organization close to her heart because of her own childhood. Ruth grew up an orphan and never knew the comfort of having someone around when she was lonely, scared, or sick. Ruth wanted to ensure no child would ever feel that way, so she began collecting tabs to help the nonprofit organization.
Ruth actually spent most of her adult life helping children, something that became abundantly clear when she and the staff returned to the retirement home. There, Ruth showed the staff her various certificates and thank-you letters from over the years. She had made so many donations to charities that the city even declared a “Ruth Hana Day” 12 separate times. Ruth wasn’t in it for the recognition, though; she just wanted to make sure the children were as comfortable as possible. So, Ruth hid the letters in a box under her bed. She wasn’t one to show off. Giving back was all Ruth wanted to do, regardless if people recognized her work or not.
It still begs the question: why did she take it upon herself to collect 1 million pop tabs? What could they possibly be used for to help children? Well, the Ronald McDonald House actually collects pop tabs by themselves. The aluminum tabs really aren’t worth much, but when you add together everything Ruth brought in, they can equate to a pretty penny. The Ronald McDonald House collects the aluminum tabs and then brings them over to a local recycling plant. There, they trade the tabs in for money. As of 2022, the pop tab program has generated more than $4 million. The money goes towards facility expenses, support programs, and sponsorships. The foundation wasn’t interested in the entire can or container, though; they just wanted the tab, as they are more sanitary and are way easier to store in the long term. Once enough have been collected, the charity brings them to be weighed to determine their value. Then the recycling plant writes and cuts a check right then and there.
The nonprofit organization is well-known. When asked about the Ronald McDonald House, one of Ruth’s fellow retirement home residents spoke very highly of it, saying, “They operate totally on volunteers and donations, and when you look at what Ronald McDonald House does, it makes you look beyond yourself to help somebody else.” The resident then spoke about Ruth and her mission, saying, “It is giving her something to do. She feels like she is contributing, and it is important for an older person to have a purpose in life—a reason. It is important as you get older to look beyond yourself.”
After finding out Ruth was collecting the pop tabs for charity, the entire retirement home decided to join in on her cause. Eventually, the entire home began collecting tabs. One staff member said, “I’m sort of amazed at how these tabs have taken off. It has gone out into the community, and I’m just tickled that Ruth has gotten into this. It has given her something to do and made her feel useful.”
Some words from Ruth are coming up soon. Speaking to a Milwaukee news station, Ruth joked about her dumpster diving days and why she finds it so important to give back to the community. She said, “I know when I went to Miller Park, it’s really funny. Sometimes I would almost fall down into those dumpsters.” Even so, Ruth always knew there was extreme value in what she was doing.
Even after donating her collection to the Ronald McDonald House, Ruth didn’t stop. After handing off the boxes full of pop tabs, she was back hopping into dumpsters and searching for tabs whenever she had the chance. She is an amazing example of doing something so simple in order to help children in need.
Ruth continued in the interview, explaining what it was like to grow up in an orphanage without a family. It was one of the reasons she was so passionate about her charity work. She said, “Christmas would come, and I would cry that I had nobody to celebrate with. My birthday came and passed—same thing. It’s not what you get; it’s what you give that counts.” Even though Ruth grew up never knowing what it was like to have a family, she has since made her own. Since she has made so many generous donations,
people who benefited wanted to meet their “Guardian Angel.” According to Ruth, “The mothers are just overwhelmed. They’re kind of my family.”
With Ruth’s focused attitude and now the help of her fellow retirement home residents, she was able to collect more and more pop tabs. The sheer amount of help allowed Ruth to make more frequent donations to the Ronald McDonald House.
