NIA Thanks Local Schools for Donations
The NIA held another successful community meeting on February 15, 2007. Nearly two hundred community members came out despite the recent snow storm to give special recognition to all the schools who contributed to the 2006 Penny Harvest.
Penny Harvest is a year-round fundraising program lead by the organization Common Cents to teach students in local schools how to engage in service-learning activities and philanthropy. Students establish roundtable committees and collect pennies throughout the year. When their goal is met, the students allocate the money raised to various service projects and organizations in their communities.
“The NIA has been a fortunate recipient of these efforts for the past six years,” said NIA Executive Director Rosa Casella. “The NIA will put this money to good use by putting back into programming, specifically toward services areas that will benefit the children of our community,” added Ms. Casella.
To celebrate the generosity of the schools, the NIA in turn holds an annual Recognition Ceremony to honor the schools. Contributing schools from Districts 20 & 21 included: PS 205, PS 247, IS 220, PS 229, PS 112, PS 200, PS 121, PS 48, PS 314, PS 105, PS 176, PS 204, PS 186, and IS 227. Students and staff from each school were happy to accept their awards and showed their eagerness for the next harvest.
Present at the event were Common Cents’ Program Manager, Adam Seidel and Communications Associate, Maggie Jacoby to show their support for the communities effort in the Penny Harvest Program. Adam Seidel addressed the attendees stating, “We are so pleased that the NIA is recognizing the effort and commitment of these students, teachers, principals and parents. The Penny Harvest is in 750 schools throughout New York City and the 14 schools represented here tonight exemplify the Penny Harvest at its best. We applaud these schools for their continued commitment in helping their community.”
Refreshments and music were on hand and raffles were drawn for door prizes. Students and school representatives proudly posed for photos while accepting their recognition. The event provided another opportunity for student’s to celebrate their participation in the giving and receiving that the NIA programs allow.
Common Cents - Neighborhood Group Recognizes 14 Penny Harvest Schools
