An “easily forgotten” copper coin was transformed into a “powerful tool for youth action and service” – plus a pot of gold – when Public School 119 presented the fruits of its Penny Harvest fundraising labors to an organization which helps the needy.
The annual drive had students and staff members presenting a check for $1,000, during a ceremony at the school, 3829 Avenue K, to the family of Christopher Rose, who was killed for his iPod in 2005.
The students were part of a collective of beneficiaries, comprised of tens of thousands of students and supportive adults, who annually organize local Common Cents collection drives that use the neglected resource into ready-to-use funds for their communities.
After the pennies have been converted into dollars, the money is then turned into deeds through the leadership of the Roundtable Philanthropy program.
Common Cents was founded in 1991 by playwright and father Teddy Gross to create opportunities for young people of all ages and backgrounds to develop and express their need to contribute to their communities.
