Pennies and Pals

Vacation Bible School was a youth program Chapel on the Hill held during the summer time, for kids to learn about God in different ways. The mission was to help the children from local migrant farm worker communities get school supplies. To do that, we had a fundraiser called Penny’s and pals. The boys and girls would bring in pennies and put them in a sand pal. The youth and supportive church members raised a total of $321.00 in pennies! The school supplies idea was a success. The items were going to be put to good use. When the people from the local farm worker community of Peirson came they were very excited to see all that was collected. We had breakfast with them and had a chance to talk and plan future events. We are planning to go to Pierson soon, to buy food items, work on the farm, and have activities for the youth. The youth and adults from our area are very excited to go to Pierson!

Heather Rxroad

Our fundraiser; Penny’s N’ Pals, all began when some members of our church decided it was time for them to do their part and give back to the community. They’d heard about the mission work done over the summer when some of the youth in our church went to Immokalee, FL to help people in the farm worker community and wanted to follow it up with some more help and support. If the young people could take time out of their summer to go to help farm workers in need; then they could certainly find a way to support the farm workers as well!

The idea was brought about during Vacation Bible School to have a penny drive for school supplies for the children in local farm worker communities. It was a perfect opportunity to not only teach the children about helping others but to pull the members of our church together to help others in need!! . The Penny’s N’ Pals drive was turned into a little race between the boys and girls at the church which made everybody bring in A LOT of penny’s. After a week of the collection word got out among the congregation and even more pennies were collected. After the 1 week of collections approximately $321.00 WAS COLLECTED!

Coincidentally, a local farm worker community called Pierson was in need of school supplies and we had just gone and bought some with the penny money!!! When we found where the supplies were needed, we immediately arranged for a breakfast/meeting with some of the people from Pierson. The supplies went to children that needed and greatly appreciated them.

When the farm workers came they where amazed with all the supplies bought. We (the members of the church) had the opportunity to talk to the people in Pierson and discovered that they were in need of much more than the school supplies. Our local YAYA 4 Farm Workers group and church are planning many fund raisers AND a trip to the Peirson community within these next couple of months. This whole experience is most definitely the beginning of long lasting bond and partnership between our communities.

Haley Knapp