For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a knack for finding loose change. Not to be confused with leftover change from buying things throughout the day, but change left behind in a pay phone or vending machine or a penny on top of a parking meter that only took quarters. Every now and again I’d find something more; a dollar blowing across the street or a $5 laying in the grass without anyone in sight to claim it. I’d chalk it up to being my lucky day, pop it in my purse or perhaps treat myself to a fancy coffee.
A few years ago, I read an article about a family that used found change to help pay for their children’s college tuition. I had never thought about adding up all the change I’d found and decided to collect it in a jar and count it at the end of the year. My first year I found about $57. My boyfriend and I decided to donate it to a Cultural Dance Organization a friend of ours was involved with. But once we had started collecting change as part of our daily routine, we thought, well, lets keep going. We decided that we would continue to collect our found change and choose a charity or non-profit to donate it every year.
In 2014, we found $158.08 in mainly change and a few paper bills, so when it came time to decide where to donate our change to, we did what most people do these days, we crowd-sourced on Facebook! When Jenny Paffi, Program Director at the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, recommended we check out the YMCA’s Girls on the Run organization – it just seemed right.
For the past ten years, I have been a member of the Detroit Derby Girls, an all female owned and operated roller derby league. Girls on the Run seemed like a great choice as it aligned closely with my personal values of empowering girls through health, fitness and teamwork. The women in our league are often considered role models in our communities and I liked the idea of helping these girls to be able to inspire others as well.
Through the Detroit Derby Girls and other work I’ve done with nonprofit organizations for fundraising or promotions, I understand the value and impact that even a small contribution could make. When I spoke to Jenny and told her I would be donating $160.00 to the program, she said our donation, coupled with a grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health, would be able to support nearly a dozen girls in the program. I was so happy to hear how far the donation would go!
Be the Change you want to see in the world.
