Grandparent Merit Badges recently talked with an inspired west-coast high school senior Charlie Jeffers who started the popular non-profit Pass the Bricks, to repurpose LEGO and building kits and distribute them to young children in his local area through community partnerships such as Boys and Girls Clubs.
Charlie’s journey started in 2020 in his home at his kitchen table. Little did Charlie realize that his story and mission would grow interest all over the country… and inevitably, the world.
Currently, Charlie is on a journey that any high school student could only begin to imagine. His non-profit venture is now making an impact on a global scale.
Our mission at GMB is to Disconnect from the Digital™ and reconnect with loved ones. We were so interested in Charlie’s work and how he is actively helping others to do just that!
Our GMB Questions for Charlie:
GMB: Can you share the story of how Pass The Bricks began?
I’ve been building with LEGO since I was 4 or 5 and love it. During the pandemic I did a lot of building, and it got me thinking that there are probably a lot of children who don’t have access to a play tool like LEGO, which is so important to cognitive and emotional development. And it made me wonder what happens to old LEGO sets or used bricks that no one is playing with anymore.
So, I came up with the idea to create a nonprofit which repurposes used LEGO bricks into “new” sets for kids who wouldn’t normally have access to them. Since my goal is to give as many kids as possible access to LEGO, I wanted to create a model that could be adopted by people in different cities in the U.S. and other countries. For that reason I created a program template with clear steps* that anyone can follow to start Pass the Bricks in their own communities.
It all started pretty organically. I created a door hanger that I left at people’s houses in my community, and posted on NextDoor about what I was doing and looking for used LEGO bricks. Word spread pretty fast, and I had a ton of people giving me their used LEGO bricks and then offering to help me build “new” sets and package them. We then started giving them out at local schools and finding nonprofit partners who support kids and families in need and wanted to distribute them.Pretty quickly, we had about a dozen volunteers in the Bay Area and then people in a few other cities who wanted to start Pass the Bricks in their communities. By last fall, these efforts resulted in us collecting over 1,000 used LEGO bricks and delivering over 3,000 sets to kids.
On December 1st we were featured on Good News Network, which has national/global reach. We started getting a lot of media coverage, which led to hundreds of people reaching out to get involved. Based on this momentum, we feel confident that we can reach our goal of delivering 25,000 sets to kids in need by the end of 2024!
GMB: You have some fantastic goals for 2024, are you on the path to reaching these? We are setting up a ton of Ambassadors right now, we have a lot of people reaching out, tons of emails from Europe. We now have ambassadors in over 70 cities in the world and counting! If it's a helpful frame of reference, we delivered 3,000 sets with only 7 cities actively doing the program. At the rate we’re going, these goals are reachable.
GMB: What does it mean to be an Ambassador for Pass the Bricks?
We call the individuals, families, organizations, schools, churches, etc. who are doing Pass the Bricks (which means all the steps in the program*) in their cities "ambassadors." We have a (growing) list of ambassadors in almost 50 cities across the world, which is awesome. Being an ambassador is fun and easy, and just requires:
- Let us list you as an ambassador on our site so that people who want to donate used LEGO bricks or volunteer to help in your area can reach out to you directly.
- Doing the steps of the program (collecting/sanitizing used LEGO bricks, designing/packing "new" sets, figuring out how to get them to people who will benefit from them) at any pace that works for you.
- Updating us on your progress.
GMB: And you’re collecting new Ambassadors in different countries in the world?
In the past two months, emails have been coming from England, South Africa, Australia. This is so mind blowing. We have a ton of different states signed up. It’s exciting! The momentum has been amazing! We’re really excited for what’s to come.
Do you have a parent or grandparent who influenced you to motivate this venture? Yes, both my mom and dad. My dad likes LEGO and building with me. When he helps build sets, it’s fun spending time with him. My mom has been so helpful with all of this too.
When I was young and my parents were both working more, my mom’s parents lived nearby and they helped take care of my sister and I. We did puzzles with Grandma, my grandfather would show us old movies. That was awesome.
GMB: We also encourage people to Disconnect from the digital™ and reconnect with loved ones. Can you tell us how Pass the Bricks is doing this in the community? The DFTD positive impact: LEGO for me has always been a nice break from screens. Being able to turn my brain off and do that has always been super relaxing. Lego is great for that.
What impact has this had on your greater community? It’s so nice to help in any way I can. LEGO is not solving all the world’s problems, but I can help the community in this way. It’s very inspiring around the world that there are people wanting to help others in their area. Kids get so happy when they receive these sets. It’s so inspiring.
GMB: I have nieces and nephews in the NE Ohio area. How can other young children and teenagers initiate an “Ambassador” of the Pass the Brick program in their own local towns or communities?
We have a list of our current ambassadors on our website (passthebricks.org). We do have a few in Ohio, and your nieces and nephews can reach out to them directly to donate used LEGO bricks or to volunteer. and if they want to actually become an ambassador, they can contact me at passthebricks@gmail.com
GMB: Can you offer advice to other young individuals who might be inspired to start their own initiatives in their communities?
I'm not an expert by any means, but here are a few thoughts that might help:
1. Take the time to map out the impact you're trying to make and the steps to get there.
2. Break out all the steps into manageable pieces so you don't get overwhelmed.
3. Ask for help from parents, friends, and teachers.
4. Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
5. Remember that any impact -- even a small one -- matters. So, don't give up!
Has the LEGO Company ever reached out to you, or their foundation?
That would be super cool. A Lot of people tag LEGO related to Pass the Bricks.
(GMB: Hint, hint… Anyone in Billund, Denmark interested in becoming an Ambassador??)
If you would like to do social tagging for Pass the Bricks to use for Instagram the handle is @passthebricks
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Thank you so much for sharing with GMB, Charlie! The work you are doing is truly impactful and pivotal in our day and age! We can’t wait to see where the journey leads you! We look forward to following along, and best of luck to you!
Make a difference in your community! Would you like to get involved with Pass the Bricks? Charlie has an excellent How To Guide on how to get started that he will send out to you! Email him for details at passthebricks@gmail.com.
Follow Charlie’s amazing journey and watch his non-profit grow at www.passthebricks.org.
Best Wishes, Charlie!
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