Blog

As we enter into this Holiday season and reflect on everything we are grateful for, I am thankful not only for all of the amazing people that support Charisma’s Crayons, but also all the amazing children I get to work and grow with. The children that we work with have a lot going on. Living in poverty while also going to school is not an easy task, and it can often be hard for ...

“I’m bored.” That’s what some of the children say when we practice drills, because drills aren’t always fun. However, drills make you a better player. Drills give you the necessary skills you need to play the game better. Drills, in turn, help you to win games, and winning games makes everyone happy. It’s always an interesting realization when you recognize that children tea...

When I first started working with Children experiencing homelessness, I would never see them month-to-month. I told my Dad it was difficult to get close to the children when I was constantly meeting new ones. He reminded me that I didn’t necessarily want to see them month to month, because that meant that they were still homeless. When we talk about familiarity, we tend to make...

Hey everyone! It’s Naadiya. I am currently in Uganda, doing some HIV research in a rural fishing community. Being in Uganda has been extremely interesting, since it gives me the opportunity to reflect on things going on in the United States in a comparison to the situations I see in Uganda and the countries surrounding Uganda. Poverty in Uganda, and in most developing countries...

Hi there! It’s Diana again. Earlier today I went to a tutoring session, and brought the 10 year old boy I am babysitting, Skyler, with me. I had told him that we were going to be working with homeless children in a big center that they live at with their families, and he was pretty excited. As soon as we got there and he saw kids playing on the playground, he asked me if...

Don’t Drink the Water Hi everyone, It’s Naadiya! I was sitting in a restaurant and I saw a roach climb up the wall. I decided to never go again. I then thought about the kids, and that they see roaches in their school all the time, but they can’t just decide to no longer attend. They must just endure it. We shouldn’t make kids just ENDURE things. We should actively be working...

Hi it’s Naadiya! This is Diana’s post BUT, I had something I needed to say really quick. I needed to say, that I should be tired. Diana should be tired, but we aren’t. We aren’t tired because what we are doing ENERGIZES us. We love what we are doing, so we don’t need 8 hours of sleep or tons of free time. We NEED to help amazing children achieve their dreams, that is what drive...

Hi everyone! Our February Blog is different than past blogs in that it is all words from our mentors. Our mentors, do so much for Charisma's Crayons and we greatly appreciate them! Our mentorship program is more than just mentoring, it is an opportunity to change a child's life, learn more about yourself and learn more about society. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, ...

Being Smart and Having Swag Hey everyone, it’s Naadiya! I usually don’t do the blogs, but we thought to change it up a little this time. So before I really get into the message, I want to define “Swag”. Swag:  used to describe anything thought to be cool (Urban Dictionary) At our last tutoring event, I was working with a teenage boy named Jaden. Jaden is really good in ma...

Happy Holidays! Diana here. December has been exciting! This month hasn’t been a busy one- it’s time for us to slow down, relax, and enjoy the holidays. (And start planning for some major renovations coming up in the new year!) This past weekend, I visited the coalition with a group of volunteers. Our new partner, California Pizza Kitchen, sent over a representative and dona...