Growing up, you likely used coloring books for fun but one local woman says they can be much more than just fun.
It sounds simple, but a coloring workbook is helping to change lives.
This week for Your Neighborhood, I spoke with a lady from Fenton that is using art to heal.
“My passion in life has always been to use art to help people,” said Kim Bonner, CEO of Make Lovely Things.
And that’s exactly what she’s doing. She started the company in 2017 with one goal in mind.
“The three main drivers in life for me have been truth beauty and love,” said Bonner. “I felt like lovely things kind of encompasses all of those ideas.”
The company makes and sells thoughtfully designed printed goods with a special mission to give a free courageous coloring workbook to every middle and high school-aged girl in foster care. Helping these young girls means a lot to her.
“Because a lot of times when they are put in a new placement they don’t get to take much with them, especially toys, books and things like that,” said Bonner. “Along with the coloring pages there’s also creative exercises, journal prompts, positive phrases, different things like that, stress relief tips and self care kind of ideas.”
Bonner takes the books and gives them to different foster care agencies and non-profit organizations. In turn, they give the workbooks to the young girls.
“It makes me feel good,” she said. “The thing that’s really been a real blessing to me has been when I do the craft shows and things like that and sometimes I will meet kids who are in foster care or have been in foster care and kind of just getting to meet them and hear their stories. That’s been the biggest impact for me.”
But here’s where you can help have an even bigger impact. Make Lovely Things operates on a one-for-one model. For each workbook purchased, Bonner donates a book to a young girl in foster care. To date she’s been able to give away more than 1,100 books.
“These kids, a lot of them feel like it’s their fault or they did something wrong and so in the text of the workbook I made sure to put things in there that kind of just told them that who they are is good, they’re important, they’re valuable, it’s not their fault and that you know we all have different experiences in life,” she said.
The books are just $10 dollars and have been sent to girls not just here in Michigan but in 12 states. If you would like to purchase one and have one donated as well or if you could use free coloring workbooks for foster girls you know, please visit: https://makelovelythings.com