It’s a quote that Katy Errington has often made about her son,  U.S. Air Force Sgt. Philip Kesler. While on a Special Operations’ training mission in 1992, Philip and eleven other soldiers died when their U.S. military helicopter crashed in the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

"The loss of my younger son was unbearable. It was devastating. I didn’t know what to do. I got down on my knees and prayed and asked God to somehow help me get through everything that was happening. I was so vulnerable, I wanted to do something—I wanted to keep Philip’s memory alive; I wanted to do something for my faith. I needed to give something in return. Several years later the answer came one day at a Rotary club meeting where I heard a Croatian war refugee speak of the fighting, and the impact on residents forced to spend days confined in terror in their homes, hiding for their lives. I sat there and wondered about the children. What do children do in situations like this? The idea of a coloring/storybook came to mind." 

As a flight engineer in the 55th Special Operations Squadron, Philip had spent many months on assignment overseas at Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey. During his time there, his values and attitudes toward life continued to change. He related stories about flying missions along the Turkish border into northern Iraq over a barren and desolate land. At times the copter crew saw campfires and tents setup in the snow between narrow mountains, miles from any populace. Kurds without a home. Nomadic people in hiding. When he spoke, the expressions on his face witnessed the hurt and sadness he felt for these people. He especially empathized with the children living in extreme proverty without coats and gloves to keep themselves warm. A people needing food, shelter and medicine and a chance to live their lives in peace.

During Operation PROVIDE COMFORT, Phil flew more than 50 combat support missions, and he helped save hundreds of lives supporting disaster relief efforts in eastern Turkey and northern Iraq. He was personally credited with helping to save three critically injured avalanche victims.

As a tribute and in memory of her son Philip, in 1996 Katy Errington created Philip's Granary®, a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) nonprofit corporation for the purpose of distributing a coloring/storybook for children needing a little cheer in their lives. The illustrations in the book are portrayed through beautiful, original artwork by James T. Kalsbeek, a professor of architecture at Penn State University. The 20 page imaginary story of Philip begins when he loads his friendly-looking helicopter with gifts that money cannot buy and starts his journey delivering these gifts to children around the world.

In the past 10 years with the support of Rotary clubs, individuals, churches, and businesses more than 60,000 books and boxes of crayons have been given to children in the United States and 37 countries. The books have been delivered by volunteers, including medical teams and military personnel, to children in public and private schools, hospitals, churches, orphanages, refugee camps, day care centers, native American reservations, U.S. military bases, displayed in doctors' offices, hospice centers for children, shelters for abused women and children, reading centers, into the jungle of Peru, remote villages of Nicaragua and Belize, to relief centers for victims of flooding and hurricanes, children living in a garbage dump in Mexico, schools for children of migrant workers in Florida, and many other places!

In the spring of 2006, Katy focused her attention on changing the direction of distributing only Philip's Granary® Coloring/Storybooks in order to serve more hurting and needy children. Thus Philip's Granary® also known as Children Without™ was born. Both Philip's Granary® and Children Without™ continue as a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) nonprofit corporation as designated by the Internal Revenue Service.

 The mission of Children Without™ is to improve the dignity and quality of life for children and youth around the world.

View history and photos of the Philip's Granary® Story