Raising money for education, one penny at a time
8/9/2010 9:04:13 AM
By Devin Lee
It began with a single jar at College of the North Atlantic’s campus library in Burin one year ago and has turned into a province-wide drive.
Sandra Shallow, the Burin campus librarian, has been a proud supporter of the Pennies for Peace program since January 2009, raising over $3,800 to support providing an education to impoverished students (mostly young women) in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“I started by putting a jar on my desk at work after reading Three Cups of Tea. I did not advertise or promote the jar, anyone who saw it was just intrigued,” says Shallow.
Three Cups of Tea is an inspiring account of an American, Greg Mortenson, and his campaign to build schools in the far reaches of Asia. Mortenson is the co-founder of and executive director of the Central Asia Institute, which oversees the Pennies for Peace program. His efforts, combined with those of thousands of volunteers worldwide, have resulted in over 145 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to over 64,000 students.
The Pennies for Peace began at an elementary school in Wisconsin in 1994 when students took it upon themselves to gather 62,340 pennies to help Mortenson build his first school in Pakistan. The program works on the idea that, to most people in the western world, a penny is not very useful; however in third world nations a penny can go a long way towards providing poverty-stricken children with an education.
Shallow has received a large amount of support throughout her community and through her co-workers at CNA campuses around the province.
“Just last week someone stopped my husband and asked if I was still collecting pennies because they had a couple of thousand saved up for me. Originally I anticipated that it would take me a year to fill my jar. I was not expecting to show up at the bank with a shopping cart loaded with tubs, bags and jars of pennies.
“CNA donates postage for the cheques to Pennies for Peace and the campus donated college gear for everyone at the bank. When two students at Sacred Heart School in Marystown organized a penny drive, the campus gave college gear to acknowledge their participation.”
Various businesses in Marystown have placed jars on their counters, receiving donations from both customers and employees. Shallow is very thankful for the success of Pennies for Peace and she recognizes that it is due to the participation from a large portion of the community.
“I have tried to thank each with a Pennies for Peace certificate. However, I know there are lots of people who have donated who have not been personally thanked and some have asked me not to mention them publicly. However, I am truly proud of all the support.”
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Media Contact:
Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca