‘Crayon lady’ helps newcomer kids feel welcome in the Sault

The Sault’s Paula Zaharuk is on a mission to help young newcomers of colour feel at home in their new community.

Zaharuk has been donating new boxes of Crayola Colors of the World crayons — each box containing 24 crayons in varying shades of brown — to Kindergarten pupils in local elementary schools.

“When you think about little kids, colouring is one of the first things they do," Zaharuk told SooToday. "They colour before they write. They should be able to draw themselves in their own skin colour. If they have friends of colour at school they can say ‘now I can colour my friends.’ Let’s make them feel included.'"

Zaharuk said she discovered the Colors of the World crayons in February while working on an arts and crafts project.

The inspiration to start the crayon donations to local schools came from her granddaughter.

“She said to me ‘grandma, we have to get these crayons, then everybody doesn’t have to be the same colour. It just went from there. I decided we had to do something about it.”

Zaharuk purchased 200 boxes of the crayons in April and donated them to every Algoma District School Board and Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board Kindergarten class in Sault Ste. Marie.

“The schools were a little shocked at first, when somebody comes and says I’d like to gift you something,” Zaharuk said.

“They asked if I was with an organization but I said ‘no I’m not I’m just doing this because I believe in it.’ Once I gave them my story and showed them the crayons they were very excited. Some schools in the city have received more newcomer students and families than others so they were overjoyed to have them.”

After receiving a favourable response from that first donation, Zaharuk put a message through social media requesting monetary donations to purchase more crayons.

“The response was completely overwhelming. People were so excited. They had children and grandchildren in the schools of different colours but had no coloured crayons to draw with.”

It didn’t stop there.

“People were so excited with the fact that we had gotten the crayons into the schools that they kept donating money, so I kept buying crayons.”

Zaharuk said that through donations she has been able to purchase another 200 crayon boxes.

“I was prepared to take on the cost of putting them into the schools. When people started donating, the donations came in so fast so I was able to buy more for the schools.”

Zaharuk has also donated Colors of the World crayon boxes to the Art Gallery of Algoma for childrens' art classes, for children at the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library’s main branch and to Sunday School classes at local churches.

“They’re out at the airport too so that newcomers who arrive in the city can pick up crayons that match their children’s skin colour.”

“Just when I think I’ve spent all the donation money and given out all the crayons, someone will come and help and say ‘you’ve got to keep this going.’ It’s really making a difference and people are realizing we do have many new skin colours in our city and that we should let children feel included by letting them draw in their own colour,” Zaharuk said.

She said buying and donating the crayons to local Kindergarten classes and other locations has become one of her passions and an ongoing mission.

Zaharuk said she is asking for donations of $5 for each box of 24 crayons.

She said those interested in donating can visit her from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays at Cravings by Paula — her homemade cookie business located at Soo Market — and make a cash donation or e-Transfer.

Paula Zaharuk can also be reached by email.

She will accept new crayons bought by others and dropped off at Cravings by Paula, the crayons available for purchase at stores such as Stone’s Office Supply, Michaels or Staples.

Zaharuk said others can buy and deliver the crayons to Kindergarten classes and other locations themselves but added she’s happy to be the delivery person.

“I’m not averse to being the crayon lady who carries it on. I’ve been the cookie lady for many years at Cravings. I will be the crayon lady,” she said with a chuckle.

Each of her deliveries includes four boxes of crayons in a paper bag with a message stapled to each bag.

The message reads “My name is Paula Zaharuk. I am a cookie baker and gramma. Along with numerous friends and my family we have come together to gift you these amazing Colours of the World crayons. We feel that every child should be proud of their heritage and be able to colour their colour as well as that of their friends and neighbours.”  

“It’s important to me. You should be able to draw your own colour. I believe in this,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion.