Helping Turn a Simple Idea into Something Bigger
When Indiana student Sammie Vance set out to make sure no child had to feel alone on the playground, Sign Crafters was proud to play a part in bringing her idea to life.
Sammie learned about Buddy Benches as a way to help children connect with one another. A child looking for someone to play with can sit on the bench, letting other students know that they could use a friend.
But Sammie added another dimension to the idea: recycling.
Kindness with a Purpose
Through a community-wide effort, thousands of pounds of plastic bottle caps and lids were collected and recycled into Buddy Benches. Sign Crafters joined the project by routing the words “Buddy Bench” into the seats before the finished benches were distributed to schools throughout Indiana.
The original effort resulted in 75 benches, turning thousands of pounds of discarded plastic into places where children could find friendship and connection.
For Sign Crafters, it was an opportunity to use our equipment and craftsmanship for something very different from the commercial signs we manufacture every day — and to support a young person with an inspiring idea for her community.
An Idea That Keeps Growing
What began with Sammie’s desire to bring a Buddy Bench to her own school has grown into a much larger movement centered on kindness, inclusion, and recycling. Today, Sammie’s Buddy Bench Project continues to bring benches to schools and public spaces across the country.
We’re proud to have played a small part in the early chapters of a project that continues to make a difference.
Learn More About Sammie’s Buddy Bench Project.