Girl Mails over 1K Art Kits to Children in Homeless Shelters, Foster Homes

A 10-year-old girl in Danbury, Connecticut, is on a mission to give art kits to children who need cheering up during the coronavirus pandemic.

For her birthday in August, Chelsea Phaire asked people to give her art supplies so she could donate them to kids affected by school shootings, according to Fox News.

However, since the pandemic hit, Chelsea has been sending them to children living in homeless shelters and foster homes around the country as a way to make them smile again.

“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,” she told the outlet.

Last year, she founded Chelsea’s Charity to distribute the donated supplies and help children with their social-emotional and mental health development.

“Research shows that you don’t have to excel in art for it to help with your development. You just need access to the materials…our main goal,” its website read.

Practicing art therapy can help people of any age improve their self-esteem, relieve stress, and deal with symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to Psychology Today.

In February, Chelsea said she believed art should be available to everyone.

“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 its always there for me,” she commented.

Since stay-at-home orders were put in place, Chelsea has mailed over 1,500 art kits to children in at least 12 states.

Tuesday, she posted a photo of herself on Twitter with packages that were mailed to recipients in California:

Glad that the art kits I made 4 the kids @JamesStorehouse got to California! Now they have art supplies while schools are closed! Click my bio to help me make more art kits 4 kids in shelters & foster care. #ChelseasCharity #ArtIsAStart #FosterCare #MentalhealthduringCovid19 pic.twitter.com/SpS7qL3iJp

— Chelsea’s Charity (@CharityChelseas) May 12, 2020

After everything she has done, Chelsea said she had big plans for the future.

“I want to visit and give kits to every single state and then move onto other countries as well. There’s kids that need good art out there, and I just want to find every single one of them out there. Who knows, maybe world peace will happen. It doesn’t hurt to try,” she concluded.