Time is Worth More Than a Dime

Brett Levy, Staff Writer|December 11, 2015

Time is Worth More Than a Dime

The holiday season is a time of joy, food, laughter, and presents. But not everyone gets to have all of these in Westport. More people than you think don’t get presents, according to Patty Haberstroh of the Westport Department of Human Services.

The less fortunate don’t have a choice but to treat the holidays like any other day, when it’s much more special than that. In eighth grade, the students participate in what’s called, the “Penny War.” No, you don’t throw pennies at each other. This tradition has been going on for decades. The kids put pennies from their homes into jugs, which will be donated to the Department of Human Services. Mrs. Haberstroh leads the donations of the Penny War to help those in need, with debt, family issues and much more.

At the end of the week of donating, all of the pennies from each team are counted up and the winner is announced (congratulations to the Red Team) but, the important part of it is that all of the money raised goes to The Department of Human Services. Last year, the eighth graders raised over $10,000 in funding. The Department of Human Services were over joyed with the overly generous donation.

But, you can do even more than bring money from home, pour it in a jug and call it a donation. There ia another important way to give to the less fortunate: donate your time. The Gillespie Center, Shehan Center, and The Open Door Shelter all have programs in which you can hand out meals, help kids with their homework and play with the kids. Kids should go to these shelters to help out and feel good inside.