Dallas Teenagers Help Combat the Hunger Crisis in Our City and Beyond — Join Chalk4Change

Busy working on some home-improvement projects? Cleaning out your garage or editing down your closet? Taking advantage of the glorious weather and doing some gardening? The latter might have been your first endeavor, since you’ve seen all your neighbors taking long neighborhood walks and silently judging your curb appeal. You might be in need of Chalk4Change.

During these challenging times, it’s inspiring to see people in the community doing their part to assist those in need. It’s particularly poignant when those affecting change happen to be teenagers. Fourteen-year-old Jingle Bell Mistletoe founder Stella Wrubel, along with “Mistlecrew” pals Quinn Graves, Isabella Dickason, and Trevor Godkin, is on a mission to combat the hunger crisis here in our own backyard and beyond.

Hearing from North Texas Food Bank that the number of children and families in need was growing due to COVID-19, they brainstormed ways to help. Chalk4Change was born when they realized that all they needed was some chalk, miles of sidewalk, and a community that comes together when they see a worthy cause.

Stella, the daughter of turntable powerhouse DJ Lucy Wrubel, founded Jingle Bell Mistletoe in 2012 in support of the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Since then, $250,000 has been raised by selling boughs of mistletoe; the proceeds have been used to feed more than 750,000 North Texans.

Back in 2018, they also had the novel idea of attempting to qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records with “Kiss Hunger Goodbye.” They invited couples to assemble in Klyde Warren Park to give Dallas the honor of largest number of people smooching under mistletoe. (By the way, they succeeded with 350 couples that afternoon.)

If you feel like helping North Texans in need while giving the sidewalks in your neighborhood a makeover, consider Chalk4Change. It’s really easy. Just:

– Challenge your neighbors, family, friends, and colleagues who live nearby to donate $20 or more to the Chalk4Change Go Fund Me Page.

– In return, decorate each donor’s driveway with sidewalk chalk. This can be anything from a cheerful drawing to an inspirational message. Might we suggest a little racy nudity under the guise of fine art: your interpretation of Michelangelo’s David.

– Encourage those who participate to then challenge their own neighbors, family, and friends to donate and decorate.

– Share your chalk art on Instagram using the hashtag #CHALK4CHANGE.NTFB, and tag @jingle.bell.mistletoe.