Penny Power projects planned for 2001

Mennonite Central Committee
Wednesday, 10 January 2001

Cent by cent, pennies collected by children in MCC's East Coast region in 2001 will go to fund fresh water, nutritious food and better health care for the children of Haiti. Children donate their Penny Power coins at church and watch in anticipation at the nearest MCC relief sale as the coins are counted. With the help of a matching grant, last year's Penny Power raised about $100,000 U.S. in the region.

Relief sales in other regions and provinces are also planning Penny Power projects for 2001. Some will use the promotional materials for Haiti, while others choose their own projects or donate to the general MCC fund. Organizers report that "wholesome competition" develops at sales that keep track of congregational totals.

In Oregon, the project is called Teddy Bear Coin Power, because the coin containers are plastic teddy bears that originally come filled with animal crackers. A church in Kansas gives each child a full can of soda with instructions to enjoy the drink and bring the can back full of pennies. In British Columbia, the Canadian Food Grains Bank provides matching funds.

For more information about the Haiti Penny Power project, contact John Hostetler or Missy Stoner, (717) 859-3889. Provincial/regional offices have information about Penny Power projects in their areas.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org