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Crayons for a Cause: This Non-Profit Gives Those Old Crayons New Life

Do you ever wonder what happens to those crayons your kid gets for pre-dining entertainment at restaurants? Unfortunately, many get thrown into landfills—and the wax takes decades to decompose. In better news, the non-profit Crayon Collection is taking action to solve this problem.

Gently used crayons still have lots of life! So the Crayon Collection recruits restaurants to pair with local high-poverty Title I schools and Head Start centers. Each month, the recipient schools pick up the left over crayons from the restaurants to bolster classroom supplies. Schools that want to partner with a restaurant can email the non-profit to get started.

Crayons can also be redirected from schools and homes with plenty of supplies to schools in need. The Crayon Collection helps facilitate crayon drives around the country, which helps kids learn about eco-consciousness. You can also help out by collecting your gently used colors and donate them in your community.

Sheila Morovati, a first-generation Iranian American, is the president and founder of the Crayon Collection. She helped the organization set a Guinness World Record with the largest crayon donation in history—more than one million were donated to schools and Head Start Centers in Los Angeles. To learn more about the Crayon Collection and get more info on how you can be involved, visit crayoncollection.org.

Featured image courtesy of Leisy Vidal, Unsplash