Headshot Photo of Yoni Kalin
2014 Award Recipient

YoniKalin

Project Color My World

Location Washington, DC

Issue Area Climate Justice/Environment | Poverty

After watching a restaurant server throw away barely-used crayons at the end of a family meal, Yoni identified an opportunity to turn trash into treasure. An avid recycler, Yoni launched Color My World (CMW) in 2010, a project that promotes environmental awareness by finding a use for recycled crayons, creating a sustainable model for recycling, and donating crayons to homeless shelters, schools, and refugee camps around the world. To foster community engagement, Yoni encourages teens to host crayon donation drives and involve restaurants in supporting the cause, while educating children about the importance of recycling.

Stepping up to a challenge, testing out ideas, creating plans...making this small idea add up to big changes has been more exciting than I ever could have imagined.

Yoni Kalin
“It is never too late, too early, or too often TO GIVE BACK AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE”
Helen Diller