Ursuline Academy Hosts Record School Supply Drive
September 2023: Crayons to Computers received the largest Push 4 Pencils supply drive donation from any organization or corporation in 2023 … and the largest from any school in Crayons’ history, thanks to two students from Ursuline Academy. Watch WXIX Video >
Running in Prison Changed Everything
August 2023: An inmate serving a sentence in Ohio turns setback into opportunity from within, joining a running club and raising money for student school supplies. Read More >
More Tri-State teachers request help to afford school supplies
August 2023: Back to school shopping includes a large number of teachers spending hundreds on supplies for their students. Watch WKRC Video >
National Retail Foundation finds cost of school supplies is at an all-time high
August 2023: Carmen Daniels (resource coordinator at Hays-Porter School) spoke with NPR about how she is helping to connect teachers, students, and parents to much needed supplies through Crayons. Listen/Read More >
Sam Hubbard Curates “Playoff Patty” through local restaurant to benefit Hubbard’s Cupboards
January 2023: Sam Hubbard inspires new “playoff patty” burger at Mt. Lookout’s Zip’s Café, with proceeds directly benefitting the Hubbard’s Cupboards program at Crayons. Read More >
Local organization hosts winter clothes drive for students in need
November 2022: As the colder months begin to settle in, it’s a stark reminder that thousands of area students will go to school—and out to play—without the necessary cold weather gear to keep them warm this season.
Watch Local12 Video >
Hubbard’s Cupboards program launches in Mt. Healthy Schools
October 2022: Crayons to Computers partners with the Sam Hubbard Foundation to make educational and nutritional items available to students in the Mt. Healthy schools. Read More >
Sam Hubbard Distributes 650 Backpacks to Students in Bellevue, KY
August 2022: “We want to make sure students get off to a great start at the beginning of the school year,” Hubbard said in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with Crayons to Computers to make sure students have the supplies they need for a successful year.” Watch WLWT Video >
Teachers facing increased costs for their classrooms due to inflation
August 2022: Teachers are preparing to welcome new students into their classrooms but it comes with a higher price tag this year. Watch WKRC Video >
Free School Supply Facility Back Open for Teachers
August 2022: There is no cost for items picked up during shopping trips. On average, teachers will pick up about $500 worth of supplies per trip. Watch WCPO Video >
Donors & Crafters Help “Keep Our Kids Warm”
December 2021: To keep little hands, heads and necks warm, it takes an army of stitchers and donors to help area students in need. Watch WCPO Video >
Keep Our Kids Warm Drive at Kenwood Towne Centre
November 2021: Meet Martha Ewalt, long-time Crayons volunteer and manager of our Keep Our Kids Warm program. Learn more about the importance of this program for area elementary students in need and about our month-long hat, scarf and mitten drive at Kenwood Towne Centre. Watch WKRC Video >
Pilot program designed to help children stay safe in local schools
September 2021: LumAware Safety and the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired are teaming up to donate clear guard desk guards to students in the region. Watch Fox19 Video >
Free School Supply Store For Teachers Makes Changes
July 2021: Back-to-school shopping season is here, and for many teachers, that means a trip to Crayons to Computers. Watch WKRC Video >
Volunteers Needed After Switching to Online Ordering
November 2020: Demand has been high for school supplies since Crayons switched to online ordering amid the pandemic, and volunteers are needed to fill and pack orders. Watch WCPO Video >
Crayons to Computers back to help teachers in need during the pandemic
October 2020: Crayons to Computers was closed for the start of the school year because of COVID-19, but now the store has started to gradually reopen for educators. Watch WCPO Video >
Community Changers Interview With Amy Cheney
September 2020: Amy Cheney (Crayons President & CEO), was interviewed by Laurie Ukpabi for a podcast episode of Community Changers. Laurie interviews people and organizations that are striving to bring positive impact to the community. Listen in and learn more about Amy and ways in which Crayons is continuing to level the playing field in the classroom. The COVID world has continued to evolve, so the specific operational details from this interview have already changed. Crayons to Computers will continue to pivot and adjust to the changing circumstances. Listen to Podcast >
Crayons to Computers helps students learn and teachers save money during pandemic
August 2020: Teachers are adjusting the way they’ll be teaching in this upcoming school year, and a local organization that hands out free school supplies is shifting the way it gives back to the community. Watch WCPO Video >
Helping Students in Need on WLWT’s “Day of Giving”
April 2020: Crayons partnered with Cincinnati Public Schools on WLWT’s “Day of Giving” by delivering a mixed truckload of school supplies and hygiene items for students in need. Watch WLWT Video >
5 Organizations in Ohio Focused on Helping Kids
December 2019: Ezvid Wiki was the world's first video wiki, and is now among the top 3,000 websites in the United States. Crayons to Computers was featured in the video wiki "Organizations in Ohio Focused on Helping Kids.” Watch Wiki Video >
How a secret Cincinnati millionaire you've never heard of left her mark on three local nonprofits
October 2019: Barb Ebel was a quiet woman, by all accounts, who kept to herself. A former teacher and AT&T retiree, she never married or had children. Like so many retirees in Greater Cincinnati, she filled her life with church, travel and weekly volunteering. But Ebel had a secret. Watch WCPO Video >
Mobile store and push 4 pencils featured in Northern Kentucky business journal
July 2019: The inaugural Florence version of our “Stuff the Van” event as well as our Mobile Outreach Program (MOP) were highlighted in a recent article showing our expanding reach in to Northern Kentucky. Read More >
Police cadets give back and build life skills at crayons
July 2019: Members of the Cincinnati Police Cadets spent their day at Crayons to Computers helping out the local community. Watch WKRC Video >
Push 4 pencils drive highlighted in movers & makers
July 2019: Crayons to Computers’ second annual Stuff the Van event, a key part of the Push 4 Pencils Supply Drive, was featured in Movers & Makers Cincinnati July 2019 edition. Read More >
local daycare and crayons spotlighted by wcpo
June 2019: One of our qualified teacher shoppers (Janet Baltzersen) was asked to be a mentor for a local daycare/preschool. The daycare needs help to become star rated in Ohio's Step Up to Quality system. Kristyn Hartman (anchor and reporter at WCPO) interviewed Amy Cheney, Janet and the director of the daycare (Lynotta Wright).
Watch WCPO Video >
Crayons wins Favorite Fundraising Party in Reader’s Choice Awards
March 2019: Movers & Makers Cincinnati named “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” as the favorite fundraising party in the education category. Read More >
Program teaches inmates how to create learning tools for classrooms
January 2019: Teachers in the Tri-State's poorest communities received almost $9 million worth of school products in 2018. Some of those learning tools came from an unlikely place: prison. Watch WKRC Video >
Despite disheartening Census report, poverty in Cincinnati has dropped since 2013
September 2018: Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley has made poverty one of his top priorities. New numbers out this week from the United States Census say the number of poor in our city has gone up, not down, over 10 years. … The ongoing push from the private sector was seen in the form of a tower creation built at the Crayons to Computers store. Almost 28,000 boxes of crayons were donated by six financial companies. Watch WKRC Video >
The Van is Packed and ready for school
July 2018: Crayons to Computers received more than 3,000 school supplies, nearly $400 in cash, $2,500 from Macy's and more than 600 #MyWishForYou notes of encouragement at the first "Stuff the Van" event at Kenwood Towne Centre. Read More >
Back-to-school costs are a lot for parents -- for teachers, they can be even worse
August 9, 2018: Depending on the number of children in your family, the cost of back-to-school shopping can range from just expensive to absolutely mind-boggling. For teachers, who might have to provide supplies and prepare classrooms for more than 20 students, it's even more significant. Read More >
Donation Spotlight: Crayons to Computers
July 2018: If you are looking for a way to donate unused office supplies or want to engage your employees through volunteer efforts, consider participating in the Push 4 Pencils campaign. Read More >
Push 4 Pencils segment on Cincy Lifestyle
July 10, 2018: Amy Cheney and Carmen Deloach (8th Grade teacher from Withrow High School) share the mission of Crayons to Computers and the importance of the Push 4 Pencils campaign with morning viewers. Watch WCPO Video >
Push 4 Pencils kicks off July 14
June 27, 2018: Kenwood Towne Centre, a GGP property, is hosting the Crayons to Computers Push 4 Pencils Supply Drive on Saturday, July 14 from 10AM – 3PM. All donations will be accepted at the main entrance next to The Cheesecake Factory. This “Stuff the Van” event kicks off the back-to-school campaign and all donations will go towards leveling the playing field in the classroom. Read More >
Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader? Crayons puts guests to the test
June 27, 2018: Crayons to Computers held its fourth annual "Are You Smarter than a Fifth-Grader: A Game Changer for Kids," raising more than $68,000 for its Free Store and Mobile Outreach Program. Read More >
Crayons to Computers gives teachers the supplies their low-income students need
May 10, 2018: At least once a month for the past 10 years, teachers or administrators from tiny Augusta Independent Schools in Bracken County have made the hour-long drive to Crayons to Computers in Bond Hill. Watch WCPO Video >
Bringing More than Crayons to Cincinnati Students
April 16, 2018: Since 1997, Crayons to Computers – an affiliate of the Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) – has contributed more than $156 million dollars’ worth of donated school supplies to Cincinnati’s underserved classrooms. Read More >
CINCINNATI COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY RECEIVES THOUSANDS OF DONATED BOOKS
March 1, 2018: Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy opened its library in the hope it could help students improve their language skills. The problem? It had about one-tenth of the books educators believed it should, and there were so few that no one could check them out.
Elementary principal Tiffany Williams started a book drive to close the gap, and education advocacy organization Crayons to Computers responded with truckloads of donations -- literally. Watch WCPO Video >
THE POWER OF A WISH: 37,000 NOTES IN 37,000 BACKPACKS
February 2018: It was a big idea, and it took a year to pull off, but Crayons to Computers marked its 20th anniversary by brightening the days of 37,000 students in Greater Cincinnati. The nonprofit wanted to give out more than supplies. It wanted to give hope to kids who need it most. Read More >
ENCOURAGING THE HEART - ONE CHILD AT A TIME
December 2017: Crayons to Computers, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit, has been serving the needs of underprivileged kids and deserving teachers for over 20 years. Through its Teacher Free Store and Mobile Outreach Program, this great organization bridges the gap for students and schools by providing them with the supplies and educational tools they need to succeed in the classroom … and in life. Read More >
CRAYONS TO COMPUTERS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND LAUNCH OF #MYWISHFORYOU
February 2017: Crayons to Computers celebrated 20 years of providing kids in need with the school supplies they need to be successful in school and life, and launched the #MyWishForYou Campaign. Watch Local 12 News Video >
MELODY SMITH JONES HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES
August 12, 2016: Melody Smith Jones was a guest speaker at our Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader event. Check out her inspiring speech regarding the crucial importance of how having the right supplies aids in educational success and self-confidence! Watch Video >