That's my total from a preliminary count of my "found money" -- my stash of personal loose change scavanged from pockets, purses and the underside of sofa cushions. After I do a second sweep, I'm sure there will be more.
Fellow Traveler is also collecting her chump change. Together, we're certain that we can buy a Heifer Project goat, if not something more.
I'm not noting this to brag. Obviously this isn't sacrificial giving -- it is, frankly, collecting the crumbs of our household consumerism. But it's something. Something we can give. Something we can give that offers a needy person elsewhere in the world a big return on a small investment.
Here's an experiment: Count your found money in your home and car. Did you find $25? That'll purchase a poor family a flock of chickens or ducks. $35? A hive of bees. $60-ish? You can help plant a grove of fast-growing trees to provide someone with shade, fodder for animals, wood and perhaps fruit as well. Or -- your $25 or $50 or $100 could help lend a woman in the developing world a microloan to start her own business, or help little kids in some educationally deprived part of the planet afford to go to school.
Is it giving 'til it hurts? No. Is it still worth giving? I think so.
5 comments:
It totally is.
Yes, good project. We liked the goats for our sunday school kids because goats not only give milk, they also give fertilizer!
One of my colleagues gave a flock of ducks in my name this Christmas. I love it when people do that, and would a million times rather they do that than give me some gift card or trinket I don't need.
this is great stuff! thank you!
Actually, we just did this yesterday and came up with 35.67 just in the "spare change" jar that my husband keeps on his desk.
At my last church, around this time of year we always did a "Pennies from Heaven" drive where we got one of those giant water cooler jugs and challenged people to dump their own spare change hoards into it. Then the Sunday School kids would spend one morning counting. We were a very small congregation, but usually came up with over $100 this way. It went to the local food bank. The food bank loved us, the bank we took all the change to--not so much.
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