I learned something, from a very smart lady, that made me want to Step Up.  My best friend Elsa, helps kids. In fact she helps kids all over the world.  She is very wise, and very nice and she knows lots of things.  She's kind of like a fairy godmother, or a superhero, or a little bit of both mushed up together.  Something she knows a lot about kids.  She told me about kids that don't have things that other kids do. Things that are important, things that every kid should have (I think), things like crayons.

I started to think ... and think ... and think about that.  My goal was to be like Elsa when I grew up, but the more I started thinking about crayons, the more I thought that maybe I didn't have to wait until I was a grown up to help kids, and make the world better, like Elsa does.  I could give kids crayons right now, but I would need a little bit of help.

I went to school and talked to my teacher (the awesome Mr Kupec!), and asked if my class could help me collect some color.  I figured that if a whole bunch of us brought in a couple of things, we could help lots of kids.  Well, ,it worked. My class brought in oodles of coloring stuff, and we shipped two enormous boxes to some kids in Alabama (the Elsa had visited).  They were so happy and excited, and I had a problem.  I started thinking about all the other kids who don't have color at their houses either, and I knew that I couldn't stop trying to help.   The next step was to ask my school for help ... and then the other schools in our area ... and then the community.  Pretty soon I was helping lots of kids, and I realized that I don't ever want to stop.

Sometimes people ask me why I give away color.  It's an easy answer -  Crayons are an opener. They open your imagination, and they open your feelings and they can give you a way to share both.  Sometimes it's hard for kids to be able to put their feelings into words.  They might be too shy to, or too scared, or maybe there just isn't someone to listen, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be able to get their feelings out.  One way to express feelings it with art.  I LOVE to color, and I thought a lot about what my life would be like without being able to color.   I didn't like that thought.  All kids, everywhere, should at least be able to create something beautiful and just theirs, something that no one else can create because it's from inside of them.  I am going to keep giving crayons to kids for as long as I can so that way tons and tons of kids can be happier and the world can be more colorful.  One day I hope every kid, everywhere, has their own box of crayons. It's going to take a very long time, but if lots of people help, I think we can do it together.  If you want to help color up the world, please email me at Bethany@colorforkids.net

I have started a nonprofit organization called Color for Kids.  So far Color for Kids has donated over 126,000 crayons to over 4,000 kids and I am busy working on two VERY large color deliveries that are happening soon.  With help from my class, Color for Kids will be giving out color to around seven hundred kids, all in one day, next month, and close to eight hundred in June.  You can watch for pictures of these fun color days on the Color for Kids website www.colorforkids.net or on the Color for Kids facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Color4Kids/