Making a difference — one cent at a time
Markham Elementary raises more than $1,000 for Pennies for Peace
Momentum is building one penny at a time at Markham Elementary School for a charity half a world away.
Last year the school raised $867 for Pennies for Peace, and is on track to raise more than $1,000 for the Central Asia Institute program this year. There’s still time to donate pennies before the school’s celebration assembly in early April.
“Pennies aren’t worth anything in American society, and most people don’t even stop to pick them up,” says the program’s parent organizer Mark Bennett. “But through something very simple, everyone can make a difference.”
The energy to collect 100,000 pennies in a year really got going after Central Asia Institute co-founder and executive director Greg Mortensen visited Wilson High School in December to thank the community for its generosity and hard work. After Mortensen was finished speaking, he singled out students from Markham who were sitting in the front row, inviting them all to go up on stage so he could shake each of their hands.
As the author of bestselling titles about the Central Asia Institute, Mortensen asked Bennett for the school’s address to send some children’s books, but Bennett didn’t expect much would come of it. Then, to Bennett’s surprise, a delivery of books arrived in January for every student and the entire faculty, almost 500 books in total. Mortensen sent copies of the picture book, “Listen to the Wind,” for the youngest kids, the young reader edition of “Three Cups of Tea” for the second through fifth-graders and his new book, “Stones into Schools,” for the staff.
“I was blown away,” Bennett says. “What an absolutely fantastic thing to do.”
The gesture inspired students, faculty and community members to learn more about how to help the Pennies for Peace program.
“I was so proud and touched that this man would go out a purchase a book for each one of them,” says Sarah Lewins, the principal at Markham. “Many of the classes read the book together and discussed it, so this isn’t just a thing where the kids took the book home and forgot about it.”
Program lifts spirits of the low-income school
Bennett and Lewins also hope that the program brings positive attention to Markham’s reputation as a Southwest school. With 59 percent of its 376 students on the free or reduced lunch program, Markham is the poorest school in Southwest Portland.
“When you have a high-poverty school, it’s great to have all the kids feel that they can be involved,” Lewins says.
Markham also has the largest proportion of Muslim students in the area, which is the same religion as many of the students receiving Pennies for Peace aid.
A penny buys a pencil in Afghanistan, so that is something tangible that the students can relate with seeing a cent on the ground.
“I’ve had so many kids come up to me and say, ‘Yeah, I’m so excited every time I see a penny now.’” Bennett says. “If we collect pennies, it’s all-inclusive because no matter what your income level is, everyone can contribute and it’s an easy thing to do.”
Every class has their penny jar and Bennett organizes class totals as an incentive, so the class that collects the most gets a big check printed with their names on it. He wants to acknowledge the Key Bank in Multnomah Village for being especially helpful by tallying the pennies for free.
“The kids really latched on to this,” Lewins says. “It’s impressive that even the youngest children are now relating to what’s going on in Central Asia.”
The momentum is continuing into other projects for the school. Bennett is planning to break ground on a new community garden and is considering becoming the new PTA president.
The principal would like to invite the entire community to a Pennies for Peace celebration assembly on Monday, April 5 at 2:15 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.
(c) Pamplin Media Group 2010
http://www.swcommconnection.com/news/story.php?story_id=126954753160249300
