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Frequently Asked Questions
  1. What is Color A Smile?

    Color A Smile is a nonprofit organization that distributes cheerful drawings to Senior Citizens, Our Troops Overseas, and anyone in need of a smile. Every month we mail thousands of new drawings to all the people on our mailing list. School children, adults, scouting troops, corporations, ANYONE of ANY AGE, can volunteer and help us to spread smiles.

  2. How did Color A Smile get started?

    Color A Smile was started by Jerry and Susanne Harris in the late 1980’s. While visiting a friend’s house they noticed the colorful drawings on the refrigerator. They realized how simple and yet uplifting a child’s cheerful drawings could be. Color A Smile began in Morristown NJ with a few local teachers getting their students to color for people in a local nursing home. We now distribute thousands of drawings every month to senior citizens, our troops overseas, and anyone in need of a smile.

  3. It’s simple to volunteer: Color cheerful drawings and send them to us.
    Simple 4 step instructions:

    1. Print a coloring page from our website.
    2. Color the page using crayons or markers (please NO GLITTER).
    3. Sign the front of the drawing with your FIRST name and AGE (please NO DATES on any drawings)
    4. Mail the cheerful drawing to:

    Color A Smile
    PO Box 1516
    Morristown NJ 07962-1516

    FedEx or UPS: 164 Ridgedale Ave Unit 7 Morristown NJ 07960
    Use the cheapest mail service available. It is ok to fold the drawings to fit them in an envelope.
    Please enclose a donation to help with our program costs. (Donation not required, but if you can…Thanks!)

  4. US Mail:
    Color A Smile
    PO Box 1516
    Morristown NJ
    07962-1516

    FedEx or UPS:
    Color A Smile
    164 Ridgedale Ave Unit 7
    Morristown NJ 07960

    Or you can donate via our website by clicking the Donate button. Thanks!

  5. Color A Smile can provide a letter of validation for the volunteer hours that you spend coloring our cheerful pages. You must be sure each drawing is Complete, Colorful and Neat. We will validate 10 minutes of volunteer work for each complete drawing that you send us.
    1 drawing = 10 minutes
    6 drawings = 60 minutes
    12 drawings = 120 minutes etc.
    You must complete our online validation form and mail it to us along with your drawings.

  6. Are there age limits on how young or old you can be to color drawings?

    Anyone of any age that likes to color is welcome to participate in our program. We receive cheerful drawings from 5 year olds to 95 year olds.

  7. Color A Smile is a simple, fun activity that that allows everyone to participate. It is adaptable to any size organization. From a one-time 15 minute project to an ongoing part of your corporate identity. Coloring our pages is physically relaxing, mentally calming, and all for a great cause. Everyone wants to help senior citizens, our troops overseas and someone in need of a smile. All you need are crayons and photocopies of pages from our website. There is no set fee to participate. Donations are voluntary, you decide if you want to support us.

  8. We prefer that you use our pages because they provides uniformity in our mailings, but you can use any WHITE, LETTER-SIZE paper that is available to you. Our pages are easy to photocopy and easy to mail. Please note that all drawings must be ‘clean.’ No glitter, paint or paste. Remember, we are looking for Cheerful and Colorful artwork.

  9. Can I use Colored Pencils for my drawings?

    You can use Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils when you color your drawings. Crayons and Markers seem to be the most vibrant and colorful.

  10. Since more adults are coloring today, Color A Smile is constantly increasing the number of detailed coloring pages available on our website. We hope the adults find these pages enjoyable to color. Some adults color their own elaborate, intricate coloring books that are beautiful. You are welcome to cut the pages out of these books and send them to us if they are CHEERFUL and COLORFUL. Please note, many drawings that are detailed and meticulous, are not necessarily Cheerful. We are looking for Happy drawings that will put a smile on someone's face. A page full of triangles or an intricate owl, while beautiful pieces of art, are not the Happy pages that we distribute. Please think, Happy, Cheerful and Colorful when sending us your artwork. The pages from our website are perfect.

  11. Please mail the drawings the cheapest way possible. Do not waste money on Priority or Express Mail.

    **US Postage Rates**
    1 - 5 drawings fit in a letter size envelope and still only cost the 1 ounce rate.
    6 - 25 drawings fit in a 6 X 9 envelope and travel at the ‘Letter Rate.’
    25 + drawings fit in larger envelopes or boxes. (Please rubber band the drawings to keep them safe.)

    If you take a package to the Post Office, always ask to send it, “The Cheapest way possible.”

    **US Mail address**
    Color A Smile
    PO Box 1516
    Morristown NJ
    07962-1516

    **FedEx or UPS address**
    Color A Smile
    164 Ridgedale Ave Unit 7
    Morristown NJ 07960

  12. It is ok to fold the drawings?

    Yes, you can fold the drawings. Please fold all the drawings together - Do Not Fold Individually.

  13. Is there a deadline to mail in the seasonal themes?

    There are NO Deadlines. Some of the Seasonal themes arrive too late to be mailed for the current year but we hold them and mail them the following year. Note: This is why you DO NOT PUT DATES on the drawings.

  14. You can send a subscription of cheerful drawings to anyone in need of a smile. A subscription is for 1 year and includes a mailing every month for 12 months. You choose whether the recipient will receive 2 drawings per month or 10 drawings per month. A yearly subscription can be renewed as many times as you would like. Go to the "Subscribe to Receive" button above.

  15. Color A Smile does not charge anyone to receive our drawings. Suggested donation amounts are really only, “Suggested.” Feel free to donate more, less, or nothing at all. Suggested amounts:

    2 drawings per month:
    •Mailed to individuals
    •Usually hung on a refrigerator door or bulletin board for the individual to enjoy
    •Suggested donation is $20.00 per year

    10 drawings per month:
    •Mailed to Activities Directors at Nursing Homes or to Our Troops Overseas
    •Usually displayed in Common Areas for everyone to enjoy
    •Suggested donation is $35.00 per year

  16. How many drawings will the recipient receive every month?

    You choose whether the recipient should receive 2 drawings every month, or 10 drawings every month.

    2 drawings per month:
    •Mailed to individuals
    •Usually hung on a refrigerator door or bulletin board for the individual to enjoy
    •Suggested donation is $20.00 per year

    10 drawings per month:
    •Mailed to Activities Directors at Nursing Homes or to Our Troops Overseas
    •Usually displayed in Common Areas for everyone to enjoy
    •Suggested donation is $35.00 per year

  17. Do you only send the drawings to senior citizens?

    The majority of our drawings go to senior citizens, but we also send to our troops overseas and anyone in need of a monthly smile.

  18. How can I get drawings mailed to someone overseas in the military?

    We can mail drawings to any active military personal with an APO/FPO/DPO address. Follow the regular directions for a 1 year subscription. We usually send 10 drawings per month to our military recipients so they can share them with their "buddies."
    NOTE: If you are in the military yourself, and want to receive our cheerful drawings, please do not send us a donation. Your service is already your donation and it will be our pleasure to send our drawings to you.

  19. Can Color A Smile send cheerful drawings to people in other countries?

    Other than our military, Color A Smile cannot currently mail drawings to people in other countries. On our website, we do have a Masterpiece of the Month, that can be printed out on a color printer. This enables people all over the world to enjoy our Color A Smile drawings. On our website go to "Send a Subscription" and scroll down to "Monthly Masterpiece."

  20. We get donations from people like you that believe in what we do. We get donations from Volunteers that send a check along with their cheerful drawings. We get donations from people ordering subscriptions. We do not charge people to receive our cheerful drawings, all donations are voluntary. We do not sell, rent or exchange our mailing lists with anyone. If you click on the "Donate" buton above, we sincerely thank you.

  21. Is Color A Smile a 501(c)(3) ?

    Color A Smile is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
    Our Federal EID, or Employer ID # is: 223179537