Pennies for Refugees

I have written in the past how the cumulative power of the humble penny can accomplish not-so-humble feats, and put this into practice through the amassing of more than two tons of the coins during our two major Penny-Drives of the past several years.

Today, with the fading twilight of the One Cent coin nearly four years behind us, it is easy to dismiss the coin to the dustbins of history. Admittedly, they have effectively disappeared from circulation more completely than I would have anticipated for a coin that remains legal tender. This having been said, I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel on our “Penny Mountain” campaigns, and believe the old coppers have one last glory ride in them.

In our previous campaigns, we have been proud to support our local hospital here in Almonte, which provides outstanding care and compassion for both members of our community and the greater region. While I remain a firm supporter of the Almonte General Hospital/Fairview Manor Foundation, we are choosing to focus our humble new efforts on a monumental human crisis – one that although admittedly taking place a world away from us, none-the-less demands to be embraced and acted upon by anyone with a conscience, as more than just news headlines.

I am of course speaking here of the current Syrian Refugee Crisis – an unprecedented migration of individuals and families fleeing a hell-hole of political instability and war.

It is easy to ask, “how, as an individual, can I possibly help?”, when in reality, the more relevant question is, “how can I possibly not help in some small but sincere way?”

This is my own conviction, and also those of like-minded individuals who have formed the Syrian Refugee Committee of Mississippi Mills. Although still very much in the formative stage, the Committee has attracted a coalition of local individuals and organizations, all committed to the common goal of laying the groundwork for the sponsorship of one (or more) refugee families to make a new life here in the National Capital Region.

As such, I am very pleased to announce the launch of our new (and likely final) “Penny Mountain” campaign, in support of the Syrian Refugee Committee of Mississippi Mills. I ask all of our customers and colleagues to do one final purge of your jars and drawers, and help us support this daunting humanitarian cause. We have begun the task of doing our own “house-cleaning”, and are starting the mountain with our own donation of 25,000 pennies.

We will be gathering Pennies for the next 6 weeks, and will unveil the final proceeds at our November open-house.

Our customers can help this cause in any of three ways:

1. Drop off your surplus Pennies at our Almonte Store (we can also receive at the October and November RA Center Stamp & Coin Shows)
2. Drop off a donation in any form (surplus change, left-over vacation foreign coinage, etc.)
3. Purchase a bag of 1,000 mixed Pennies for $15, housed in one of our collectible “Alliance Coin & Banknote” custom coin bags

I invite you to join our combined efforts and help make an impact – one family at a time – that will truly last a lifetime.

Sean Isaacs

My son Fenton helping out with our first Penny Mountain (2009) and our Penny Wall (2012)