Who we are, What we do
Color A Smile is a nonprofit organization that distributes cheerful drawings to nursing homes, hospitals, meals on wheels programs, our troops overseas, and anyone in need of a smile. Every month we mail thousands of new drawings to the recipients on our mailing list. Since 1990, Color A Smile has given out millions of cheerful drawings. That’s a lot of smiles!
Color A Smile provides volunteer opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Kids, teens, and adults of any age can volunteer to color and help us spread smiles. Our program allows volunteers to experience the joy of helping others through the simple act of coloring. Our website offers a variety of downloadable coloring pages for you to choose from.
Download a page, grab some crayons, and Color A Smile!
Color A Smile does not charge anyone to receive our drawings, and we never rent, sell, or exchange our mailing list.
Color A Smile is grateful for donations of any size. We will always use our resources efficiently and responsibly. We promise to work hard to be an organization worthy of your support.
Our Story
Color A Smile was started by Jerry and Susanne Harris before their children were old enough to color. They saw a neighbor's refrigerator that was covered with children's artwork. They knew that they would have plenty of pictures to put on their refrigerator in a few years, but they thought of the many people who don't have young children in their lives.
The idea of collecting cheerful crayon drawings from people and sending the drawings to senior citizens appealed to Jerry and Susanne. They thought this would be a simple way to bring joy to the lives of older adults that often feel forgotten.
Color A Smile started by distributing a few drawings to some local nursing homes. Our program has grown tremendously, and today we mail thousands of drawings every month to people across the country. We also distribute cheerful artwork to our military troops overseas. We receive thousands of thank you letters from the recipients, confirming that our program does spread smiles and reminds people that someone is thinking of them.
Color A Smile has distributed several million drawings since we started. Even though the program was created mainly to benefit the senior citizens that receive the drawings, the response from the volunteers that do the coloring has been overwhelming. Our volunteers are thankful that our organization provides them the opportunity to help others through the simple act of coloring.
Color A Smile is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization