Changing the face of charity, pennies and dimes at a time

Check your pockets, look behind your desk and search the laundry room for all the spare change you can find -- the Class of 2004 needs it. A new initiative called Change for Change and Charitable Giving is a new community service effort for freshmen. Change for Change will raise money for local projects by collecting loose change and donating it to three local charities selected by the freshman class during orientation. Undergraduate Assembly Secretary and College junior Dana Hork began the program last spring. The idea, she says, originated during move-out. "Students find loose change all over their room at the end of the year," Hork said. "It is a way for students to get rid of their loose change and donate it towards a positive cause." The UA sponsored a test run of the program during the final three weeks of school. Different college houses, including Community, Gregory, Spruce, Stouffer, Dubois, Harnwell and Hamilton collaborated with the InterFraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council on the project. In two weeks they successfully raised nearly $1,000 for Upward Bound, an organization that helps area high school students gain admission to college. This year, Change for Change became a part of New Student Orientation, with Hork believing it would be a good way to get the freshman class involved on campus early on. "It's a great opportunity to bring all of the freshmen together for a common cause," Hork said. During orientation, small red and blue plastic cups were passed out to students. Throughout the year, freshmen will collect their spare change and keep it in these cups until the end of the semester. Dropoff locations and dates will be announced soon. And by accessing the NSO Web site, freshmen could pick from a list of charities to aid. The top three vote getters were announced at Wednesday night's Convocation. The three charities are Parents and Children Against Drugs, St. Mary's Respite Center and University City Hospital Coalition. Hork emphasized the importance of finding charities in the city. "We picked things in the local area so that we can actually see the results," Hork said. Hork also said that the program is not solely aimed toward freshmen. "The project is for everybody," Hork said. "It is a way for the Greek houses, upperclassmen and freshmen alike to join together and give to different charities." And in fact, Change for Change may expand beyond Penn's campus. "We actually want to talk to other schools in the area about launching the program in conjunction with Penn," Hork said. "By accumulating change from many students and donating it towards a common cause shows that lots of small change can really make a big difference.