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Home > Volunteers help make leader pins for Penny Harvesters
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VOLUNTEERS HELP MAKE LEADER PINS FOR PENNY HARVESTERS

March 17, 2008

Penny Pin Making RoomOn Sunday March 9th, about 200 hundred volunteers gathered at The School at Columbia University to participate in the second annual Leader Pin Event.

The goal to make 30,000 leader pins was not only accomplished but surpassed with volunteers making 31,140 pins in less than 4 hours!

Leader pins are made from gluing penny coins to pins. Each participating school receives 30 leader pins for the student leaders who help run the Penny Harvest in their school. Students wear these pins as a symbol of leadership and the pins help generate pride and excitement for the Penny Harvest.

“It’s so encouraging to see how empowering the Penny Harvest is for kids. It’s positive and life-changing and it’s wonderful to be able to participate in that process,” said Judith Washington, a Bronx volunteer who participated in the event.

Little GirlIn many schools, these leader pins hold a significance beyond which we could even imagine. For example, at PS 335 in Brooklyn, when new student leaders are inducted to the school’s Philanthropy Roundtable, outgoing fourth and fifth graders literally “pin” incoming third graders with their Leader Pins. During a school-wide assembly, inducted members receive a Leader Pin and are told:

“You are now a member of A Beautiful Spirit Philanthropy
Roundtable. And now my responsibilities are in your hands.”

Clearly at PS 335, Leader Pins represent a transfer of great responsibility, not unlike the swearing in of an elected government official.

The leader pins will be sent to Penny Harvest schools in the fall at the beginning of the new school year.
 
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