A Penny Goes a Long Way: Students Raise Money for Community Members in Need

A Penny Goes A Long Way: Students raise money for community members in need

The war is over - the penny war, that is. Students at St. Mary's Catholic School in Moscow competed against each other last week to raise money for a local charity, gathering more than $1,000.

As part of Catholic Schools Week the school came together to focus on one of their central themes - service.

"What we do in a very positive way today, helps our world everyday," said Sister Margaret Johnson, school principal.

The goal of the penny war is to be the grade that raises the most pennies to win a special treat. The catch is placing any money that is not pennies in the opposing grades' jar deducts that amount from their final tally. For instance, adding a dime to the third-grade jar would deduct 10 cents from their overall earnings. Students added nickels, dimes, half-dollars and dollar bills to the jars of other grades to raise $1,079.31 and collect 43,511 pennies.

"One student brought in a two-gallon bag full of pennies, we could barely lift it," said Peggy Quesnell, second-grade teacher.

Johnson said another student brought in their birthday money.

"Yes, they are having fun competing against each other, but they know who the real winners are," Johnson said.

The money will go to the local chapter of St. Vincent de Paul, a charity in which people come together to assist the poor living in their communities.

"They do a tremendous amount of good for people, quietly and behind the scenes," said Johnson. "They provide shelter, food, a means of getting a job or even furniture to a family who are desperate, that are close to or are living on the streets."

Johnson said the Moscow chapter of St. Vincent de Paul has been in existence nearly 10 years and operates across faiths. Anybody can join to help the cause, and they do not have to be Catholic to receive help. The program is committed to prayer and confidentiality of the people they are helping.

The children presented the loose coins to members of St. Vincent de Paul on Tuesday.

"It means a lot because we are addressing the needs in all of Latah County and not only the fact that the kids gave us money, but the fact that they sacrificed so much to help us is a whole new dimension," said Mike Bowman, a member of St. Vincent de Paul.

Bowman said they will use the money to address living assistance in the county, particularly helping those who have been affected by the water problems at Syringa Mobile Home Park and helping them get into apartments. They also pay doctor bills, buy medication and gasoline.

"The people we help are more of a blessing to us than we are to them," Bowman said. "The job is bigger than any one of us can handle and one of the miracles is the churches coming together."

Students also sold cupcakes in the annual bake sale for Catholic Schools Week. They made $161.63 to donate toward Heifer International.

"It is a wonderful organization that connects people around the world to food, helping to raise money and provide food to Fourth World countries, especially by providing animals to use for the milk and to reproduce for food," Johnson said.

Quesnell said the school purchased a sheep and two flocks of chicks this year. Heifer International will send the animals to the country that needs it most.

A few times a year the school donates to the charity, also participating in other service projects including raking leaves and visiting nursing homes.

"We are a community - by what we do and how we treat each other we make the community more strong," Johnson said. "This happens in the family community, the Moscow community, the national community and the world."

Catholic Schools Week is a national recognition of schools focused on faith, strong academics and commitment to service within the school, church, family and local, national and international communities. It happens annually during the final week of January. The penny war ran Jan. 27-Feb. 5.

"How do you reach out and serve each other on a daily basis? It can be something as simple as getting a chair for someone or opening a door," Johnson said. "It is courtesy, respectfulness and thoughtfulness.

Sunny Browning can be reached at (208) 883-4639, or by email to [email protected].