Broken crayons find new purpose helping victims of violent crimes

This Is Iowa: Broken crayons find new purpose, helping victims of violent crimes

15031315 - 15031825 - I'M GOING TO STICK THEM INTO THE OVEN ... 275 Katie Kenny isn't much of a baker 15033222 - á ENTERS IN TIME ON OVEN á PERFECT But over the last several weeks... She's found joy in the kitchen 14375902 - áKATIE LAUGHING á ( KATIE AND JOSIE SITTING ON THE FLOOR TAKING OFF WRAPPERS ) The recipe she's following Calls for only one ingredient <14390609 - GLOW IN THE DARK. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY MADE THOSE ( CLOSE UP OF KATIE'S HANDS ) > Crayons. Hundreds of them nats : 14411238 - these i count as one The Waukee mom -- made post on Facebook with a unique request <15143714 - 15144101 I SAID, DOES ANYONE HAVE BROKEN CRAYONS OR CRAYONS THEY'RE NOT UTILIZING ANYMORE > It turns out -- art teachers at the nearby elementary school had bins full of well loved wax <15153127 - 15153202 -- IT'S JUST BEEN AND IT'S BEEN INSANE. AND WE HAVE JUST BAGS AND BAGS OF CRAYONS THAT WE STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH - KATIE KENNY > nats : 14494928 - purple is over here . brown , brown , brown Everything shade of pink and every hue of blue donated 14494109 - ooh a little red. why is it so tiny?! Because its broken ( josie and Katie sorting from bowl ) Flaws and all... To be stripped, 14304102 - SO PUT THE THE WRAPPERS THERE ( TAKING OFF CRAYON WRAPPERS ) sorted 14453818 - áSOUNDS OF CRAYONS HITTING TIN And pieced back together -- which is fitting considering where they are headed next . <15132811 - MAY BE BROKEN WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING THAT'S HARD , SOMETHING THAT TRAUMATIC BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU COME OUT OF IT A BETTER PERSON, A BETTER HUMAN. IF THAT SOUNDS PERSONAL, IT IS. AND SO EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY BE BROKEN, YOU CAN STILL COLOR . YOU CAN STILL COLOR. - KATIE KENNY > In college -- she was in an abusive dating relationship. She got out -- got help -- and found her self worth again... <15135617 - 15135910 - WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING HARD LIKE THAT, IT CAN TEAR YOU DOWN // BUTT // 15170322 - 15170727 SO I'VE ALWAYS REALLY FLIPPED THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN MY LIFE INTO MORE OF A POSITIVE. > Because Katie is learning it takes TIME to perfect a recipe And it can be a bit of a messy process. 15264417 - oh no the red is spilling over into the other one But she's convinced it's worth it to create something beautiful 12;19;21;13 - 12;19;27;08 <SO IT'S A CONSTANT ASKING OF THE COMMUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT CHILDREN EXPERIENCING TRAUMA - KACEY BARROW - MINER , TRAINING DIRECTOR AT CRISIS INTERVENTION AND ADVOCACY CENTER > At the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center in Dallas County -- victim advocates know coloring is theraputic for kids working through life's toughest circumstances . And those colors are have seen better days <12;19;03;24 - WE GET REALLY CREATIVE. SOMETIMES THERE'S MARKERS THAT DON'T RUN ANYMORE WORK ANYMORE, - KACEY BARROW - MINER , TRAINING DIRECTOR AT CRISIS INTERVENTION AND ADVOCACY CENTER > Katie's second chance crayons give hurting kids a chance to heal <12304508 - HI KATIE ARE THESE THE CRAYONS? > 12175105 - 12175420 <THEY JUST NEED EXPRESSIVE WAYS TO GET OUT THE TRAUMA THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AND SEE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEED - KACEY BARROW - MINER , TRAINING DIRECTOR AT CRISIS INTERVENTION AND ADVOCACY CENTER > Whether their stories are dark or bright ... nats : 14115313 - come on lets sort these over here So the who doesn't spend much time in the kitchen is actually looking forward to breaking it in. 15235713 - THOSE ONE LOOKS AWESOME, IM EXCITED TO SEE THOSE Because Katie knows broken crayons can still create something beautiful -- if they are given a second chance 15140209 - 15141107 taking that situation that I went through and making it something positive and something that can impact other kids or other families tha

This Is Iowa: Broken crayons find new purpose, helping victims of violent crimes

Something beautiful can come from things if they are given a second chance, which is why a Waukee woman made a unique request on social media, asking for broken crayons.The response was overwhelming, Katie Kenny said."It's just been insane. We have bags and bags of crayons that we still need to go through," Kenny said.As it turns out, just about any family with young children or elementary art teacher has bins full of well-loved wax in need of a new home. Kenny has spent countless hours soaking, sorting and molding donated old broken crayons into new usable ones."You may be broken when you're going through something that's hard but on the other side you come out of it a better person," Kenny said.MORE THIS IS IOWA: Visit the This Is Iowa page on ��vlog's website and follow the series on FacebookIn college, the now mother of two was in an abusive dating relationship. She's using the difficult time in her life to create a positive moment for others. The new crayons will be donated to a center helping survivors of violent crimes and their children and used in therapy."It's a constant ask of the community to come forward and find a way to support children experiencing trauma," Kacey Barrow-Miner, a training director at the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center in Adel, said. "They just need an expressive way to get out the trauma they are experiencing." The center has helped hundreds of survivors. Kenny hopes to donate thousands of crayons. She's convinced when given a chance, broken things can still become beautiful." taking that situation that I went through and making it something positive that can impact other kids or other families going through similar situations," Kenny said. More from the April 25, 2024, This Is Iowa episode:This Is Iowa: Farmer fighting cancer inspires John Deere combine step therapy at rehabilitation centerThis Is Iowa: West Des Moines EMT's passion to help children inspired by boy killed in 2016 crash This Is Iowa: Principal with multiple sclerosis teaches students life lesson on perseverance This Is Iowa: Triumphant and touching moments that have followed bad days

DALLAS COUNTY, Iowa —

Something beautiful can come from things if they are given a second chance, which is why a Waukee woman made a unique request on social media, asking for broken crayons.

The response was overwhelming, Katie Kenny said.

"It's just been insane. We have bags and bags of crayons that we still need to go through," Kenny said.

As it turns out, just about any family with young children or elementary art teacher has bins full of well-loved wax in need of a new home. Kenny has spent countless hours soaking, sorting and molding donated old broken crayons into new usable ones.

"You may be broken when you're going through something that's hard but on the other side you come out of it a better person," Kenny said.

MORE THIS IS IOWA: Visit the This Is Iowa page on ��vlog's website and follow the series on

In college, the now mother of two was in an abusive dating relationship. She's using the difficult time in her life to create a positive moment for others. The new crayons will be donated to a center helping survivors of violent crimes and their children and used in therapy.

"It's a constant ask of the community to come forward and find a way to support children experiencing trauma," Kacey Barrow-Miner, a training director at the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center in Adel, said. "They just need an expressive way to get out the trauma they are experiencing."

The center has helped hundreds of survivors. Kenny hopes to donate thousands of crayons. She's convinced when given a chance, broken things can still become beautiful.

"[It's just] taking that situation that I went through and making it something positive that can impact other kids or other families going through similar situations," Kenny said.

More from the April 25, 2024, This Is Iowa episode:

This Is Iowa: Triumphant and touching moments that have followed bad days

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This Is Iowa: Broken crayons find new purpose, helping victims of violent crimes

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