On December 26, 2004 the most destructive natural disaster of our time struck in the form of a massive tsunami that literally wiped over 150,000 people off the face of the earth. Entire communities were simply erased. From this disaster, one of the most generous world-wide efforts began to provide aid to the survivors.

First Parish Church in Taunton was a part of this global effort. On January 3, 2005, members of First Parish Church and the community of Taunton, led by Rev. Rachel Tedesco and Director of Religious Education, Barry Sanders, set out to collect and display one penny for each of what would become over 150,000 deaths attributed to the tsunami in south asia.

Jaime Merolla, editor of the Silver City Bulletin, wrote as the penny drive ended, "There are dozens of organizations, groups and individuals raising money for the victims of the disaster, but none more dramatic or educational as the donated penny drive at First Parish Church."

The pennys were laid out on the chapel floor, eventually covering an area over 600 square feet. Over 200,000 pennies were collected in 3 weeks. "I was truly moved by the response from the entire community. People donated jars of pennies that they had probably been saving up for years. One young boy walked in with his mother and emptied his Spiderman bank into the pile of coins."

Taunton Federal Credit Union staff counted the pennies and other donations. In all $2,296.29 was donated and sent to UNICEF's Tsunami Relief Fund.

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief.
Do justly, now.
Love mercy, now.
Walk humbly, now.
You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

-Talmud

The drive was not just a First Parish Church event. People all over the city of Taunton (and the South Coast) helped as DRE Barry Sanders noted in this letter to the (Taunton Gazette) Editor:

To the Editor,

While most of us here in Taunton cleaned up wrapping paper and Christmas dinner leftovers, the survivors of the tsunami in Southeast Asia were picking up what little was left of their lives.  There was something about this record-setting disaster that touched us all and the world is responding with record-setting generosity.  In Taunton, we would do no less.

The penny drive at First Parish Church in Taunton - one of many efforts throughout the city - set a goal of collecting 125,000 pennies to be laid side-by-side on the chapel floor.  Each penny was to represent one life lost.  The effort resulted in a moving display that covered over 26 square feet of carpet.  More importantly, the money collected will be put to work rebuilding the communities that were - quite simply - washed off the face of the earth.

The display has now been swept up and the pennies counted.  I would like to send a sincere thank you to the management and staff of Taunton Federal Credit Union for taking on the incredible job of counting and rolling all the pennies.  Last week, the work was completed.  Taunton Federal Credit Union reported counting a total of over 200,000 pennies.  Combined with other donations, the total amount collected was nearly $2300.  A check for that amount is already on its way to UNICEF.

Thanks also to staff of the Taunton Gazette who first covered the story.  Their lead was followed by newspapers and television stations for nearly 2 weeks.  Without this media response to publicize the effort, I doubt the penny drive would have been the success that it was. A special thanks, of course, goes to the many people who brought their contribution to First Parish Church -from the young boy who dumped his piggy bank onto the floor to the anonymous person who dropped $50 into the bucket, from the woman who called asking for help carrying her huge coin collection to the man who drove up from New Bedford to deliver his jar.

Lastly, thank you the Rev. Rachel Tedesco and the children, youth and members of First Parish Church in Taunton, the youth group of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Middleboro and all my friends who put in the long hours needed to lay the thousands of pennies and create the amazing display.

Barry C. Sanders
Director of Religious Education

First Parish Church in Taunton