Last week Penny Harvest students voted to donate $27,420, raised by more than 150 Penny Harvest schools across the country, to four organizations providing disaster relief in Haiti. The students participated in a National Penny Harvest Roundtable, which allowed them to democratically decide how to distribute the money amongst each organization.

 

Immediately after last January’s earthquake, Common Cents created The Haiti Relief and Recovery Fund, a “giving circle” which allowed thousands of students to come together with small donations from their Penny Harvests to make big grants. Common Cents partnered with four organizations, which work locally in Haiti, to receive the much needed funds: Clean Water for Haiti, Ecole le Bon Samaritain, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, and Konbit Pou Edikasyon.

 

“After the devastating, tragic earthquake, we wanted to join together to help the people and country of Haiti,” said Abigail, a student at W.T. Clarke Middle School in New York. “We had fun activities to raise money and I felt supportive and great that we could send a donation to Haiti. I have family in Haiti and it made me feel good that our school would be helping them out.”

To make the giving meaningful, students used curriculum created by Common Cents that introduced them to the six issues countries face after a natural disaster: health and hygiene, education, food and nutrition, safe shelters and rebuilding, clean water and sanitation, and refugees.

After researching and discussing the issues most important to them, students cast their votes online, specifying how they would ideally divide the money amongst the organizations, each of which address at least one of the six issues. The results are as follows:

“Words cannot express KPE's sincere gratitude for this donation,” said Marlynne Bidos, co-founder of and Director of Donations for Konbit Pou Edikasyon. “We feel overwhelmingly inspired to continue helping Konbit Kids and their families.”

Though these elementary and middle school students are now finished with their work on the Haiti Relief and Recovery Fund, many are still providing services in their own communities through their school Roundtables.

The Penny Harvest, Common Cents’ flagship program, shows young people that they have the ability to change the world by introducing them to the power of philanthropy and service during their formative years.

The nation-wide Penny Harvest is made possible by our site partners: The Community Foundation for the Great Capital Region in Albany, New York; The Young Philanthropists Foundation in Colorado; See Kids Dream in Ohio; Florida Alliance for Student Service in Florida; and Solid Ground in Seattle.