Underprivileged children are getting help from Chelsea’s Charity
“Art is a gateway to a world where we can escape all that stress and be creative and let our imaginations run loose,” says Chelsea Phaire.
Chelsea is the founder of Chelsea’s Charity, a charity organization for underprivileged children that she started on her 10th birthday, just last year. Chelsea’s Charity supplies art kits to children in need, and has already delivered more than 1,500 during the pandemic.
“I had a rollerskating birthday party. And I decorated a ginormous bin and asked my friends in lieu of gifts to bring bring art supplies, so I could get my charity started,” recalls Chelsea.
“What my charity does is we deliver art kits to children in shelters, foster care agencies, kids who’ve been through traumatic experiences, hospitals.”
Chelsea’s altruistic work has been influenced by her love for art, in all forms, and other children. Some of her favorite things to create are paintings and cartoons. But her creativity does not stop there. Not even close.
Chelsea writes graphic novels, mostly centered on superheroes and magical girls. She also has a deep love for poetry, seeing it as an outlet for cathartic expression.
“Maybe you guys could write poems. That’s really helpful. Just letting all of the feelings out into poetry.”
Chelsea is delivering warmth, kindness, and an avenue for imagination for so many kids who otherwise would not have the opportunity to create.
When COVID struck the US hard earlier this year, Chelsea’s Charity had to make some changes.
“We’ve had to change our style of art kits. Instead of bins we use Ziploc bags now because they are easier to mail.”
Without school, many kids do not receive the attention, the love, the resources normally available to them. The blunt truth is that a lot of children put a guard up when they go home, they sour as the bus comes at the end of the school day, they act out in anger and frustration of their home-life compared with school.
“We have schoolwork on top of quarantine, on top of not being able to see our friends… and that’s really hard and it’s so very stressful,” explains Chelsea.
Art is paramount for a child’s well-being and development. To create, to visualize, to imagine anything is possible. Kids need art in their lives.
Chelsea and her charity are helping out children in inconvenient circumstances. Each art kit sent out is love and kindness on the way to the kid on the other end.
“It means a lot to me that the art kits I send out are helping other kids just like me,” says Chelsea.
Chelsea’s dream is to be an entertainer, singer, and actress named Cotton Candy, “because I will dye my hair pink and have blue and always wear pink and blue.”
An ambitious creator, a kind-hearted person, and serious renaissance woman, Chelsea is just getting started.
We are all dealing with the struggles of creating right now. How do we find inspiration in bleak times, and more aptly, where?
I find it from people like Chelsea, who think of others first. Who make sure others (especially children) are happy, are safe and free, in body and mind.
“We will all get through this together. Keep your faith, this will all be over very soon. Art is very helpful right now,” concludes Chelsea.