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HAMILTON, New Jersey, June 22, 2016 – AAA Mid-Atlantic is joining CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, to volunteer on behalf of The Crayon Initiative, a California-based nonprofit that collects and remanufactures unwanted crayons and donates them to children in local hospitals and art therapy programs. To commemorate The Crayon Initiative’s inaugural visit to New Jersey, AAA Mid-Atlantic employees will volunteer in a companywide crayon recycling event.
“We are honored to volunteer for The Crayon Initiative alongside our AAA Mid-Atlantic colleagues,” said Grant Schwoebel, CSAA Insurance Group site leader in Hamilton, New Jersey. “The Crayon Initiative is our volunteer partner of the year, and we are excited to introduce the mobile crayon recycling trailer to the Garden State.”
The Crayon Initiative, established in 2014, collects discarded crayons, remanufactures them and provides new packs to hospital pediatric wards. Crayons offer hospitalized children a creative outlet for self-expression, which may provide needed psychological support, alleviate feelings of anxiety, and contribute to maintaining a sense of childhood normalcy.
“The work we do has a significant impact on local communities, and we are excited to visit New Jersey for the first time,” said Bryan Ware, founder of The Crayon Initiative. “Our mobile crayon recycling trailer advances our mission of ensuring that children have the tools they need to enjoy the healthful benefits of art and creativity, while reducing waste in landfills.”
Unwanted crayons collected by The Crayon Initiative also reduce negative impacts on the environment. Crayons are not biodegradable and create a waxy sludge that may not break down for centuries. To date, The Crayon Initiative has diverted nearly 750,000 crayons – thousands of pounds – destined for landfills. Donated new and used crayons come from restaurants, schools, childcare centers and caring citizens.
About The Crayon Initiative
The Crayon Initiative is a Northern California based-nonprofit devoted to promoting the arts for children by providing them access to the resources they need. We believe that in order to grow and learn, children need to have the freedom to be creative and express themselves through art. The Crayon Initiative organizes crayon collections that accept unwanted crayons, remanufacture them, and provide them to hospitals that are caring for our kids. For more information, visit www.thecrayoninitiative.org.
About AAA Mid-Atlantic
AAA Mid-Atlantic advocates on behalf of its nearly four million members in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. It provides a wide range of personal insurance, travel, financial and automotive services through its 60 AAA stores, regional operations centers, Car Care Insurance & Travel Centers and the Internet. For more information, please visit our web site at www.AAA.com.
About CSAA Insurance Group
CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, offers automobile, homeowners and other personal lines of insurance to AAA members through partnerships with AAA clubs in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Founded in 1914, has been rated A or better by A.M. Best for nearly 90 years, and is one of the top 20 personal lines property casualty insurance groups in the United States according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Since 2014, the company has been named one of the 50 most community-minded companies in America by Points of Light.