/R E P E A T -- The Salvation Army to Accept Discontinued Penny/

Not Worth Anything? We Beg to Differ.

TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - The Salvation Army announced today that it will collect discontinued pennies through the launch of its Penny Drive to help people in need across Canada. The public can donate their pennies to any one of the 120 participating Salvation Army thrift stores. Each penny will benefit community-based Salvation Army programs and services that provide food, shelter and general assistance to the vulnerable and marginalized.

"With the end of the penny comes an opportunity to give back and provide hope and dignity for people in need," says Graham Moore, Territorial Secretary for Public Relations and Development for The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. "A single penny may be seen as worthless, but we see value that can change lives."

With approximately 35 billion pennies currently in circulation in Canada, each penny donated to The Salvation Army can add up to make a difference for local communities. Pennies will help The Salvation Army continue providing feeding assistance, shelter and other social services to Canada's most vulnerable citizens.

For example:

• 35 billion pennies ($35,000,000) is enough to feed every homeless person in Canada for a year
• 7,200 pennies ($72) is the average cost a month to pay for diapers
• 88,700 pennies ($887) can pay the average monthly rent in Canada for a family in a two-bedroom apartment
• 130,800 pennies ($1,308) can pay the average yearly public transit pass per year in Toronto
  
  

"The pennies don't even need to be rolled," says John Kershaw, Managing Director for The Salvation Army's National Recycling Operations. "You can bring them in bulk and we'll take care of the rest."

The Salvation Army's Penny Drive was developed by the organization in response to the federal government's decision to take the coin out of circulation, and the penny's final distribution on February 4^th. Salvation Army thrift stores participating in the campaign will accept pennies over the next few months. In order to locate a penny donation site at one of our participating thrift stores, visit: www.SalvationArmy.ca

As the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in Canada, The Salvation Army provides aid to more than 1.8 million people each year. With your donation of pennies, you can help make the difference between someone receiving a warm meal or going hungry, sleeping outside in the cold or having a warm night of sleep indoors.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people today and everyday in 400 communities across Canada and more than 120 countries around the world. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, providing shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction. When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community.

News releases, articles and updated information can be found at www.SalvationArmy.ca

SOURCE: THE SALVATION ARMY

Andrew Burditt
National Director of Marketing and Communications
The Salvation Army
416-845-8231
[email protected]
www.SalvationArmy.ca