My Coins Count (Penny Power) – Small Change for a Big Change
Children, congregations and TriState supporters have been gathering pennies,
nickels, dimes and paper money since 1999 to send to Mennonite Central
Committee to where needed most in the U.S. and around the world.
Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)
Providing relief in Vietnam
The 2017 TriState Relief Sale My Coins Count project is to provide relief to families in Vietnam who live with
disabilities, most associated with Agent Orange (In Quang Ngai Province alone, 25,000 are affected).
MCC is responding by supporting two initiatives of partner Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent
Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) — a daytime care center and a cow bank program — that help families better support
themselves now and increase their economic capacity for the future.
The province was sprayed heavily with Agent Orange to clear vegetation during the Vietnam war, affecting
civilians and soldiers on both sides of the conflict. And the horror continues, with birth defects, cancers and
neurological disorders affecting young people born long after the war ended. Collective evidence from multiple
studies has led scientists, doctors and others, including the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, to associate a
variety of health conditions with exposure to dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange. The effects can be passed on
from parent to child and can even skip a generation.
MCC provided a clean water system and exercise equipment for the center and funding for local doctors to train
staff and families in physical therapy techniques. The cow bank that MCC supports through VAVA started
with another small spark in 2015, with just 20 families who received a female cow, a larger investment than
families could make on their own. When that cow has its first calf, its owner gives the calf to repay the loan.
Female calves are given directly to other families affected by Agent Orange. VAVA sells male calves to help
purchase a female calf for a family. “Even though the investment of the cows is very small, it has a lot of
meaning,” says VAVA Chairman Long. “The final results will become very big.
Trịnh Thị Sơn is able to bring her son, Huỳnh Quang Phi Long, to a day
center run by MCC partner Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent
Orange/Dioxin. The center, set up for people with disabilities resulting from
exposure to Agent Orange, provides services and a safe space for Long,
giving Son time she can use to earn more for the family.
Donations will be accepted during the auction or you may make a donation at the cashier’s
table for “Vietnam Agent Orange Relief”.
My Coins Count!! Penny Power has a new name!
The penny is out and coins are in! Since the penny is no longer circulated in Canada, MCC has
rebranded the campaign "My Coins Count" and is providing new resources for sales and congregations to use
to join the fun of collecting coins for MCC projects around the world. Check out the website at mcc.org/mycoins-count to find newly designed can and jug wrappers, a fun new song to sing, links to MCC stories
sharing MyCC themes and ideas for use of MyCC.
Contact Les Gustafson-Zook Office: 574-534-4133 [email protected]