Help fight hunger with the 11th annual Ms. Cheap Penny Drive for Second Harvest

Mary Hance | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Help fight hunger by supporting Ms. Cheap Penny Drive for Second Harvest When you donate to the Ms. Cheap Penny Drive for Second Harvest Food Bank, you are helping feed people and fight hunger here in Middle Tennessee.

If everybody pitches in a little, you can end up with a lot. And if you contribute money to help others, the impact can be substantial.

When you donate to the annual Ms. Cheap Penny Drive for Second Harvest Food Bank, you are helping feed people and fight hunger here in Middle Tennessee.

In its first 10 years, the Penny Drive has raised more than $580,000. That translates into more than 2.3 million meals.

The request is small: Give what you can, invite others to donate, and spread the word.

Every penny can really help.

Hunger in Middle Tennessee

The need is critical. Nearly 400,000 people in Middle Tennessee are challenged by hunger. It seems unbelievable, but is sadly true.

Second Harvest's research shows that in Middle Tennessee, 1 in 8 people, including 1 in 6 children, are at risk of hunger. They don't know when or where they will find their next meal.

It doesn't take much money to help feed some of these people. Second Harvest can provide four meals for every $1 donated.

How your donations help

Money donated through the Penny Drive helps Second Harvest with its various programs: emergency food boxes, backpacks for hungry kids and food pantries at agencies across Middle Tennessee.

Your donations stay right here at home, with the food bank serving more than 490 agencies in 46 Midstate counties.

Get involved

My Penny Drive is so easy to do, and whatever amount you donate or collect makes a big difference.

I encourage you to display our Penny Drive cans at home, at work and anywhere else you can think of, so people will talk about hunger. Consider donating or volunteering, or both, to help feed hungry people.

The campaign is called a Penny Drive, but donations of dollars, checks and online contributions are also welcome.

Penny Drive cans are available at any Pinnacle location, any branch of Wilson Bank & Trust or at Second Harvest Food Bank in MetroCenter. Or you can make your own jars or cans to collect money for the food bank.

The generosity of our partners, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Wilson Bank & Trust and Kroger, as well as so many people, businesses, churches and schools has helped the Penny Drive raise $580,128.14 for Second Harvest in the last decade.

Let's keep the campaign going. Pick up a can or make your own and get started pinching pennies for a good cause.

The drive runs through Jan. 31. Thank you in advance for any and all support.

Details: www.secondharvestmidtn.org/pennydrive

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11 ways to get involved

1. Keep a penny can at home or in your car and drop in change.

2. Use only bills when making a purchase and put leftover change in your penny can.

3. Have a Penny Drive bake sale and ask customers to donate a few dollars to the Penny Drive as payment.

4. Take penny cans to your office or school and encourage co-workers, classmates, students and customers to drop in spare change.

5. Ask your company to match your Penny Drive donations. Or create a competition in your office and see which department can raise the most money for the Penny Drive. Add an incentive or a prize for the winning team.

6. Donate online at secondharvestmidtn.org/pennydrive.

7. Have a holiday "party with a purpose" and ask guests to bring donations (coins, cash and checks) for Second Harvest instead of a host or hostess gift.

8. Pass a penny can around at your garden club, book club or civic club meetings. Better yet, use the Penny Drive as a holiday service project.

9. Have a yard sale or garage sale and donate the proceeds to the Penny Drive.

10. Throw the Penny Drive an 11th birthday party! Make a pledge to fill 11 penny cans, give $11 and invite 11 friends to join you.

11. Donate your change to the Penny Drive donation box at Kroger.

You can also share your Penny Drive story on social media by using #MsCheapPennyDrive.

Penny Drive totals

2009: $10,132.91

2010: $16,518.27

2011: $35,964.66

2012: $47,518.42

2013: $47,946.51

2014: $77,339.35

2015: $69,714.85

2016: $85,312.04

2017: $86,939.77

2018: $102,741.36

Total for the 10 years: $580,128.14

Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap, and at Tennessean.com/mscheap, and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”