When their 5-year-old daughter Brooklyn came home with the idea to collect and donate crayons to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Morris and Rychee Brown jumped into action.
“Brooklyn knows how the simple activity of coloring can bring real joy, and normalness, during long, tough stints in a hospital,” Morris Brown said, product development purchasing program manager at FCA US. “Collecting crayons is a simple way for us to give back to the hospital that takes care of our girl. Plus, it really is an easy way for us to bring a bit of joy to the children still in the hospital.”
Diagnosed as an infant with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Brooklyn spent days, and sometimes a full week, inside the hospital as her family and team of doctors helped her through her ailment.
Unlike other toys, hospitals cannot guarantee that crayons are bacteria free through traditional sanitation methods so they give them to children or throw them away, making it difficult to keep a surplus stock.
To date, the Brown family has donated more than 15,000 boxes of crayons for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.
“Crayons are really part of the healing process,” said Luanne Thomas Ewald, CEO of Children’s Hospital of Michigan. “It’s wonderful seeing kids helping kids. We’re so thankful to Brooklyn and her family for their support of our patients.”
Visit Brooklyn’s Crayon Drive wish list by visiting their Amazon page here.
About FCA Community Stories:
FCA Community explores the efforts of FCA US employees who see a need beyond the walls of their work sites and devote energy outside their daily job to be a source of comfort and a force for change.
