10-Year-Old Girl Sends 1,500 Art Kits to Kids in Homeless Shelters
Times of difficulty can bring out the best in humanity, and that’s certainly the case for 10-year-old Chelsea Phaire. This young Danbury, Connecticut resident lifted the spirits of foster children by sending them over 1,500 art kits since the start of the pandemic.
Her passion project began at the age of eight when she received an art kit for her birthday. It suddenly struck her: so many less fortunate children lack access to the same art supplies.
Her mother, Candace Phaire told the Washington Post, “That was really the starting point.”
Determined to spread kindness, Chelsea mobilized her friends and family to donate supplies and create art kits to donate to children. On her 10th birthday in August 2019, instead of buying birthday gifts, she asked guests to bring colored pencils, crayons, paint, paintbrushes, markers, sketchbooks, and notepads. They put together 40 art kits, which she hand-delivered to children living in homeless shelters in New York.
With the help of her family in Connecticut, 10-year-old Chelsea Phaire packs up kits of art supplies and sends them to kids across the country — including Philadelphia — so they can use art as a form of therapy. https://t.co/C0i7DTcRUh
— KYW Newsradio (@KYWNewsradio) June 1, 2020
But that was only the beginning. Between August and March, Chelsea kept the ball rolling. She shared her wish list on Amazon, listing the needed supplies to make even more art kits. She even donated her own tooth fairy money toward the project.
By the time the pandemic hit, her relatives and friends all got involved. With their help, Chelsea assembled nearly 1,500 art kits to send to children in homeless shelters and foster homes across the country.
In a phone call, she told Fox News, “It means a lot because of the coronavirus. It’s just really nice to know kids are helping kids during this really stressful time. It really makes me feel happy.”
As an added touch, Chelsea included a small note explaining why art matters to her. In a YouTube interview, the fifth grade explained, “Art really helps me communicate when I can’t. It helps me if I’m happy, sad, or I just want to draw. I can always go to my sketchbook, and it’s always there for me.”
Chelsea’s passion for helping others started at a young age. Her mother explained to the Washington Post, “Chelsea always had a strong desire to start a charity and asked us about it from the time she was only 5 years old. When she got a little older, my husband and I said yes.”
She went on to found Chelsea’s Charity aiming to provide more art supplies and art lessons to children who need it most. You can follow the latest updates and fundraising activities on Instagram @chelseascharity.
“My art charity helps kids in need, kids who are in shelters, orphanages, kids who have been through traumatizing events like school shootings. We bring art kits to them, to give them a happy day and to show them to not do bad things when you’re upset,” she said in a video interview. Chelsea also shares her favorite art techniques.
We can all learn a little something from Chelsea. Even in times of trouble, something as simple and seemingly small as an art kit can bring tremendous joy to others. And as is the case with Chelsea, kindness has a ripple effect. One person’s act of generosity inspires those around them to do the same.
