Slate Belt 10-year-old's charity work featured on 'Steve Harvey'

A local youngster's efforts to help children has garnered the attention of a nationally syndicated talk show. Bethany Kuster, a 10-year-old from Pen Argyl, will appear on the "Steve Harvey" show on Thursday. Bethany was a fourth-grader in 2015 when she...

Slate Belt 10-year-old's charity work featured on 'Steve Harvey'

A local youngster's efforts to help children has garnered the attention of a nationally syndicated talk show.

Bethany Kuster, a 10-year-old from Pen Argyl, will appear on the "Steve Harvey" show on Thursday.

Bethany was a fourth-grader in 2015 when she started a program called Color For Kids, which ships crayons and other art supplies to children and classes around the nation that struggle financially to provide those materials to students.

With donations and help from her classmates, Bethany has helped over 3,600 children and distributed 123,000 crayons and thousands of other supplies to schools nationwide, organizers say.

"It makes me happy to feel I can make a difference in kids' lives," Bethany said to Harvey.

Color For Kids brightens schools

Kuster said she has visited some of the children she has helped and she receives thank-you letters and cards that are made with the supplies her charity has donated.

Last summer, Kuster was one of 12 youths selected to receive the 2016 TD Bank Young Heroes Award, which honors young people from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

Bethany Kuster, 10, left, is interviewed by Steve Harvey on his TV show. (Courtesy photo) 

Bethany said she was inspired to start the program when a pen pal informed her that students in parts of Alabama did not have access to basic art supplies.

Teachers and students at Wind Gap Middle School have helped the effort, which has shipped supplies as far as Nepal.

Check your local listings for channel and air time Thursday.

Bethany is one of four young people featured on the show.

For more information on how to donate supplies or donate money for supplies and to cover shipping costs, contact Color For Kids at bethany@colorforkids.net.

John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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