VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/19/10)—The more than 100 American Baptist churches and other organizations participating in The Penny Project—launched by National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA, to raise awareness about child poverty and support for ministries that serve at-risk children—have reached the 2 million mark in pennies, on the way to the national goal of 14 million.
Fourteen million children in the United States and Puerto Rico live in circumstances fraught with obstacles to developing their full potential as children of God. The Penny Project’s goal, which represents each of those children (infants to age 18), helps the participating groups and their communities visualize the number of children in their neighborhoods and across the nation who face the challenges of hunger, inadequate education and medical care, and family dysfunction every day.
The Penny Project initiative—inspired by youth at First Baptist Church, New London, N.H., and launched as a national effort in June 2009—is growing. Today the groups from Anchorage, Alaska, to Ponce, Puerto Rico, that are collecting pennies to raise awareness and compassion for at-risk children include Bible study classes, congregations, campus ministries, youth groups and an elementary school. American Baptist Girls are preparing for a collection of pennies during their conference in Columbus, Ohio, this summer.
Through this project, loose change is bringing change to churches, neighborhoods and communities across the county. Avon Baptist Church, Avon, Mass., is using its collected pennies to host birthday parties for children who live in a homeless shelter; First Baptist Comunidad Cristiana Youth Group, Yakima, Wash., is donating their pennies to a service location for homeless youth; and American Baptist Youth of Nebraska are purchasing backpacks for children in their state. Many more groups are reaching out to children in their communities.
The need, however, is great. Fourteen million pennies placed end-to-end would reach 165 miles and require close to three hours of driving time from one end to the other. That represents a lot of children who need to feel God’s loving care.
Your group can make a difference in children’s lives, too. Get more information about The Penny Project at www.nationalministries.org and register today at www.14millionpennies.org.
American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.