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Penny Lovers of America
P.O. Box 6141
Somerset, NJ 08873-6141
732-873-3827
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Building on Pennies
THE STAR-LEDGER, Friday, September 15,1995
By Alicia Grey
When spearheading a campaign to raise more than a million dollars, most people would not set their sights on pennies. But for Richard Barber Sr., the coins are all that count in the National Penny Recycling Campaign to raise 1 million pounds of pennies, or $1.64 million, by Nov. 30. The money would go toward scholarship funds for disadvantaged and underprivileged students.
"I think it's a neat kind of thing that everyone can be involved in," the Franklin Township resident said. The campaign, which began Sept. 1, is being sponsored by Penny Lovers of America, a non-profit group that Barber formed in 1984 to encourage character, scholarship and patriotism. "I was awakened around 2 a.m. one night from a deep sleep by the hand of God with the inspiration to write the (poem) 'A Penny Speaks,"' Barber recalled in his book "The Economic Emancipation of African-Americans: Let the Church Say Amen."
"These words expressed by a penny itself convey a burning desire to unite with other non-productive, abused and seemingly worthless pennies to make positive contributions to society and improve the conditions and the quality of life for our people through united 'Penny Power,"' he wrote. The idea of collecting pennies is twofold, he said. It is a way to raise scholarship funds and to tackle a penny shortage" among retailers, financial institutions and merchants. Many of the $183 billion pennies that have been minted are hoarded in people's homes, Barber said. If people took the time to gather them, Barber said, the average household would find $9.70. "Most people see pennies as absolutely worthless," he said. "I pick up every one I can." Barber anticipates "three, four, five, 10 thousand students a year getting an education because of Penny Lovers of America."
He and other organizers have turned to school districts, churches, celebrities, athletes and businesses to help reach the campaign goal. "We need volunteers who understand the value of what we're doing," he said. Penny Lovers was recognized for its efforts when a joint resolution sponsored by Rep. John Porter (R-Ill.) passed last fall proclaiming a week in October as National Penny Charity Week. This year, Oct. 22-28 has been designated. Since establishing Penny Lovers of America, the group slowly has been spreading its philosophy through workshops and advertisements around the country. The penny campaign is one part of a five-step program in Barber's "economic emancipation plan" to make the black community more self-reliant. The other segments are to establish a national church credit union, a self-insurance association, a national development fund, and a college and university endowment program. ,
"Our insurance premiums and money which we deposit in banks, savings and loan associations and pension programs provide very little if any investment impact in our own communities," Barber wrote. His experience trying to uplift blacks financially can be traced to 1975, when he helped establish the New World National Bank in Pittsburgh, the only black-owned full service commercial bank in Pennsylvania. He is now director of purchasing for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. For more information about the penny campaign, write to Penny Lovers of America, P.O. Box 6141, Somerset 08875-6141.
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