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WALNUT CREEK, Calif., October 19, 2015 – CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, is helping The Crayon Initiative accomplish its mission to donate newly recycled crayons to children in local hospitals and art therapy programs. The insurer made a $40,000 donation to fund The Crayon Initiative’s new mobile crayon recycling trailer, enabling the nonprofit to expand its reach and increase the number of crayons delivered to children in need. To commemorate the newly operational trailer, CSAA Insurance Group employees will volunteer in a companywide crayon recycling event.
“The work we do has a significant impact on our local community, but there is so much more we can do with a travelling workforce and volunteers from other communities,” said Bryan Ware, founder of The Crayon Initiative. “The mobile crayon recycling trailer that CSAA Insurance Group funded will advance our mission to ensure that children have the tools they need to enjoy the healthful benefits of art and creativity, while reducing waste in landfills.”
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 mobile trailer will help The Crayon Initiative bring the crayon recycling process and benefits to more hospitals and organizations in need, including underfunded schools and other charitable organizations.
“The Crayon Initiative is an innovative program with many societal benefits, and we are proud to provide meaningful support,” said Danielle Cagan, corporate communications and public affairs executive, CSAA Insurance Group. “In addition to our financial contributions, our employees will provide significant volunteer hours to support the program, demonstrating our value of caring for the community.”
CSAA Insurance Group has an employee volunteerism rate that exceeds 80 percent and has been recognized as one of the most community-minded companies in the U.S. by Points of Light and Bloomberg, LP.
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.
The official ribbon-cutting of the Crayon Initiative’s mobile crayon recycling trailer takes place at 10:00 AM PDT, Tuesday, October 20, 2015, at CSAA Insurance Group headquarters, 3055 Oak Road, Walnut Creek.
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 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, CSAA Insurance Group is rated A+ by A.M. Best 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. The company was also named one of the 50 most community-minded companies in America by Points of Light in 2014.