Sanfordville volunteers with Pennies for Peace

Sanfordville Elementary School students participate in peace campaign now through May 17 Warwick - With the help of librarian Linda DeVries, Sanfordville Elementary students will be embarking on a Pennies for Peace campaign to broaden their cultural horizons and become members of a global family dedicated to peace. A penny doesn’t buy much in Warwick. But in the villages of Central Asia, a penny can buy a pencil, start an education and transform a life. The Pennies for Peace program goal is to encourage children to learn the value of philanthropy by collecting pennies for global peace. The Pennies for Peace campaign is a program of Central Asia Institute (CAI), founded by Greg Mortenson, author of the #1 New York Times best seller, “Three Cups of Tea.” Founded in 1996, CAI has built, to date, nearly 100 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which serve more than 28,000 students, 14,000 of whom are girls. The pennies that are collected can add up to make a real difference. For example, one penny buys one pencil, $20 buys one child’s school supplies for one year, $600 provides one teacher’s annual salary and $5,000 supports an existing school for one year. To collect pennies, the students will place penny collection containers in each classroom at Sanfordville Elementary School as well as in many businesses throughout Warwick. The Pennies for Peace campaign will run from May 2 through May 17. If you would like to make a contribution, in any amount, to the Pennies for Peace campaign, look for the collection containers at local merchants or in the Sanfordville Elementary School Lobby. The students of Janeen Mitchell’s class have already thought of many places to find spare change, including sidewalks, under sofa cushions, in coat pockets and on the floor of their car. They hope that everyone will join them in collecting pennies and in promoting peace, one penny at a time.