Many humanitarian ideas and acts are promoted with the words, "for the children." Taking inspiration from its successful annual Coloring and Caring book release, the Charles Bruce Foundation decided that its latest humanitarian project should be FROM the kids! Besides our Coloring and Caring book, this past year saw the hugely successful launch of the book Kursid Kids – a story told by an eight-year-old. This generated the new idea of branching out to a compilation book written and illustrated by children.

If you aren't already aware, Kursid Kids, a story by Ronan Russell published in December of 2022 by the Charles Bruce Foundation, hit number two nationally for juvenile fiction in the science fiction/fantasy category.

“We know kids have great stories inside them. We want them to unlock those tales and send them to us. There is no geographical boundary and no age requirement to their submissions. And young people can send their artwork as well. So, kids, send us your poetry, your doodles, the products of your imaginations by August 1, 2024, and our team will select pieces for the book,” added board member, Chris Kapp.

To demonstrate our commitment to this project, we aren’t just doing a call for submissions. We will have monthly Zoom meetings available after school (the second Tuesday of each month) and on weekends (fourth Saturday of each month). During those Zooms, kids can talk to mentors – in both art and writing – who will help them with their projects. We encourage you to share this information with young ones in your life up to the age of 18 who have stories to tell and art to share. They should sign up for the mentoring sessions using the link to our form below. If they would like more information, they can use the second link to go to the new webpage.

Leave it to Santa Claus to give the holiday season a far-too-early boost while on a stopover in Carlisle. With his elves in mind, he stopped at 360 Dance Fitters to stock up on vital supplies for their after-work jigs. With Mrs. Claus in mind, he visited History on High-The Shop for postcards, The Fabric Center for bolts of cloth, Marjorie's Gems and The Penny Gallery at the Pond for jewelry, No Common Scents for elegant bath soaps, Carlisle Creative Vibes for hand made art gifts, and Wick and Pour Studio for lighting to set the mood. Now, fully in the holiday spirit, he took a stroll through Pat Craig Studios for the tree ornaments, but came away with so much more. Feeling a bit peckish after shopping, he sallied forth into Central Wedge Cheese Shop for some fermented curd (insert Monty Python cheese shop sketch here), Taqueria Laurita for lunch, and Exquisite Chocolates for a well-deserved sweet (insert Monty Python crunchy frog sketch here). Finally, preparation for the trip home took him to Anahata Yoga Studio and Boutique to get properly loosened up, and Whistlestop Bookshop for a light read for the trip home. And what is Santa's early, EARLY, message for your holiday preparations? SHOP LOCAL!

While you are out shopping, don't forget that the Charles Bruce Foundation will soon be releasing their latest holiday book, Wilbert Christmashead, written by Sam Rob and illustrated by Holly Cameron. Watch for details on how you can add this adorable holiday tale to your collection! For other holiday shopping ideas, use the link below to find great donation rewards for your gift list.