When I was just a child, our town was like most small towns across America. There were little penny gumball machines all over the place. For one penny, your taste buds could enjoy a refreshing gumball in some shade of red or green, yellow or blue or even a bright white gumball.
Now, the idea that a penny is worth something has faded like paint on a weathered barn.
But, the truth is that a penny has power.
Also during my youth, our church hosted a yearly penny drive to help the Primary Children's Hospital. We were encouraged to donate as many pennies as we were old or in later years, a penny for how many inches tall we were.
Imagine in this day and age of people actually throwing pennies on the ground if we could gather them all up and use those once important coins for an all new important project.
It's time to renew the penny drive for our charitable needs in this nation. We seldom think about the pennies in our desk drawer or those in the banks and water bottles in the corner of the bedroom.
What could be done if a community combined their pennies to help the hospital or the rescue squad or the food pantry?
How about if we used it to aid the Red Cross or the local homeless shelter or the Police or Sheriff's Department to buy equipment? Even the smallest child could thrust out their chest and proudly say "I helped them with my pennies!"
What good can we do with a penny?
Hospitals treat people who have NO way to pay through no fault of their own. Penny drives could help pick up at least some of the slack. And for those with deeper pockets - nickles, dimes and whole dollars would also be gratefully accepted.
Volunteer Fire Departments in rural areas try to help with what equipment they can buy over time. Could our pennies help them get something that could save a life? Maybe even save a family?
How about a penny drive to help the local school add to its library?
Or a penny drive to support the high school band?
What can YOU do with your penny?
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