Students Support Mayor's Alliance Efforts with Penny Harvest Donations
If young people are our hope for the future, then recent donations to the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals by New York City public school students signal that NYC's animals are in for a compassionate future.
The donations, channeled through the Common Cents Penny Harvest program in which many schools across the country participate, illustrate the importance many young people place on the welfare of animals. The program, created nearly twenty years ago, exposes children to the power of philanthropy and service. It provides children between the ages of 4 and 14 with a mechanism to turn their compassion into action by collecting pennies and turning them into grants for community organizations. Since 1991, children have donated more than $7 million in Penny Harvest grants to their selected organizations!
The Mayor's Alliance is honored that during the 2009–2010 school year, students at six New York City schools collected pennies to support Mayor's Alliance efforts to save lives at our city shelters. We extend our appreciation and gratitude to these students, as well as to those who guide their efforts, including the teachers who serve as their coaches, and the school principals.
PS 52 Sheepshead Bay School (Brooklyn)
Principal: Ilene Altschul
Coach: Helena O'Connell
PS 95 Sheila Mencher Elementary School (Bronx)
Principal: Serge Marshall Davis
Coaches: Delia DeRose , Jennifer Capolongo
PS 105 Sen. Abraham Bernstein School (Bronx)
Principal: Christopher Eustace
Coaches: Faye Waters, Tanya Velez, Nicole Stroud
IS 109Q Jean Nuzzi Intermediate School (Queens)
Principal: Miatheresa Pate-Alexander
Coaches: Georgette Malcolm, Bertha West Cuascut
PS 153 Maspeth Elementary School (Queens)
Principal: Rosalie Cirringione
Coach: Oonagh Turitto
PS 161Q The Arthur Ashe School (Queens)
Principal: Jill Hoder
Coaches: Sonia Muriell, Monique Brown
In June, Heidi Leonard, Director of Special Projects for the Mayor's Alliance, was invited to attend the check presentation ceremony at PS 161Q, which was a part of the school's sixth grade graduation ceremony. The students presented Heidi with a check and a lovely corsage. To demonstrate our appreciation, the Mayor's Alliance presented each participating student with a certificate of appreciation.
