Franklin 2nd Grader uses crayons to draw attention to school lunch debt

FRANKLIN — Anna Farley looked at her box of crayons as a tool to make a difference. She had no interest in drawing, or coloring or writing with them.

Her goal was to help friends who’s families were dealing with school lunch debt.

In the Franklin Community School corporation in Johnson County, 540 students across the district owe a combined $6,515.12 as of mid-January.

In Anna’s school, Northwood Elementary school the total debt is $793.

The second grader came up with an idea to help with the debt during the Christmas break. She asked her mom if she could sell redesigned crayons to help friends in need.

“She said yes, or maybe. I forget," Anna said.

The family got to work. Peeling, snapping them and placing them in special baking molds.

"When a little eight year old comes to you what to do this. I need to make this happen," Anna’s mother Julia Farley said.

The entire operation was run between at the kitchen table and the oven by an 8-year-old who loves her friends.

"Because they are nice and kind to me, and I love when they do that," Anna said.

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It was time to get the baking sheet, and allow her creativity to rise to the occasion.

The broken up crayons are put in the oven at 220 degrees. Anna isn’t sure if she will do this again, though whatever she does it will be about helping other kids.

"Yes, I want that to happen so I can get an idea and they can get another idea to help more and more kids and the community," Anna said.

Her mother Julie describes her five words, “She has a caring heart".

Once out of the oven, the new shapes and sizes including animals and numbers had to cool off. A perfect recipe with lots of care baked to perfection.

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"I honestly have no idea what I want to do next. Yeah, maybe make a new inventions," Anna said.

Anna raised $450 for students at Northwood Elementary which was more than half of the amount owed on school lunch debt of $793.