26/11/2024
Here’s our favorite Thanksgiving memory! 11/23/16
Dear Friends,
Yesterday was a day that brought tears of joy to me and 61 other people.
It started with a feeling of excitement because NPR radio wanted to do a story about the Crayon Collection so we began the interview outside the school as I poured my heart out expressing why I started the Crayon Collection, why art programming is so important AND why still good crayons do not belong in landfills.
Next, we entered the school to meet the principal only to learn that things were behind schedule due to a performance in the upper grades. So we waited. And waited. I realized that doing this interview right before Thanksgiving break was probably not the best idea. My chance at NPR was slipping away as the reporter had no time to wait.
Then, four little boys walked into the main office where we were seated. They must have been about 7 or 8 years old and had eagerly come to pick something up. They spoke quietly with the woman seated behind the main office desk. I overheard something about their backpacks not being filled this week because of the short week but she assured the boys that "they would eat a good dinner on Thanksgiving Day". With a broken heart the administrator said, "I love you guys". And the four boys walked past me again, this time with their heads hanging low.
I had to know what happened to these students. Cindy, who was the woman behind the desk, explained that the boys had come looking for their weekly food backpacks. This was supplementary support that provided their families a week’s worth of food. Due to the shortened holiday week there wasn’t enough time to fill the backpacks, which was why the boys left feeling so disappointed. I offered my help since surely, four backpacks weren’t hard to fill. She appreciated the suggestion yet quickly turned it down and said, "look at that wall, all the backpacks are there". Sure enough over 60 flat backpacks lined up the wall - a sad sight. She said there was no way to fill that many backpacks with just 2 hours left in the school day.
At this point it was 1pm and school ended at 3pm. One thing was for sure, there was absolutely zero chance I would leave this school without trying to fill those back packs with food that their families depended on. I repeated my offer and asked Cindy to provide me with the grocery list.
I knew there had to be a solution and that's when I remembered the new app I had recently downloaded called, Instacart. I found a local &Final that was nearby and started entering each and every item on the list from peanut butter to graham crackers, Mac and cheese, soups, and every single item that was on that list.
Thanks to the power of Instacart I was able to order the huge grocery list of food for 60 kids and their families. Melissa, the Instacart shopper, and I chatted over the app for the next hour to be sure that everything made it in time. All the food was delivered at 2:45pm just in time for dismissal. Here’s what Cindy wrote me that got the tears flowing:
My heart has tears of joy!
All students went through an assembly line, were happy and grateful.
Thank you from the bottom of 60 beautifully deserving children and me.
There are some experiences in life that hit you like a ton of bricks and this was one of them. Witnessing the look on the face of those four boys is something I will never forget. My heart is full and I am so glad everything worked out the way it did.
**After we shared this story, Instacart, refunded me for every dollar I spent on the grocery order. NPR rescheduled and all was well that day. Giving kindness is a main pillar here at Crayon Collection. It continues to be one of our core 3 programs.
We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
With gratitude,
Sheila Morovati
& The Crayon Collection Team
