Local 12-year-old Kicks Off 'Millions to Remember' Penny Drive

Collecting is big these days. Americans collect paper, glass and plastics to recycle, stamps as a hobby and teapots and other items to decorate a home. But pennies? One local Ambler, Pa., youth is trying to collect 6 million of them in an effort to raise a whopping $60,000 for charity.

As preparation for her mitzvah (good deed project) for her Bat Mitzvah, 12-year-old Jenna Steinbrink kicked off her 1-year-long collection this week. Her Bat Mitzvah will be held in September 2008 at Congregation Beth Or in Maple Glen, Pa. Steinbrink plans to collect and donate the pennies to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, New York, NY.

"While I came up with the idea to memorialize the 6 million lives lost in the Holocaust by collecting 6 million pennies, my project is more about tolerance and understanding," explains Steinbrink. "It's about raising awareness of all ethnicities and religions and the celebration of diversity. That's what life is all about." And that's what the mission of the Simon Wiesenthal Center is as well. The organization is an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time. The Center's multifaceted mission generates changes through the Snider Social Action Institute and education by confronting hate and terrorism, promoting human rights and dignity, and teaching the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations.

Steinbrink will be collecting pennies via collection cans throughout the Philadelphia region, a viral e-mail campaign, and mass mailings to corporations. She will also raise funds through family, friends, schoolmates, outreach efforts to the media, as well as good old word of mouth. "I plan to talk wherever I can about my project at my school, overnight camp, synagogue and restaurants and stores I frequent," says Steinbrink. And if your name or your business name has penny in it or if you live perhaps on Penny Lane, you will most likely be hearing from Steinbrink for some pennies as well. If you're invited to her Bat Mitzvah, don't come empty-handed. She plans to ask you to bring some pennies to the service as well.

To prepare for her collection, Steinbrink has opened a bank account at Commerce Bank, Horsham, Pa., as well as a post office box. She has started e-mailing family and friends. "Everyone seems to want to help," says Steinbrink. "I just received a box with pennies in it and some people are giving me checks and the pennies out of their pockets, literally."

If you'd like more information on the campaign, e-mail Steinbrink at MillionsToRemember@comcast.net or send your pennies or a check payable to Millions to Remember, P.O. Box 872, Ambler, PA 19002-0872.