Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Common Cents
What do you do with stray pennies? Some people put them in piggy banks. Some people collect them in jars. They are found behind car seats and in sofas. They can be found in drawers and on counter tops. Stray pennies collect dust. Nora Gross and her dad came up with a solution for all of those pennies. They decided to harvest them.
When Nora was four years old, she was walking down a New York City street with her dad. She noticed a homeless man. He was cold. Nora said, "Why can't we take him home?" That question was the beginning of Nora's journey into helping others.
Many children may ask the same question. Nora believes the difference is that her dad listened and understood that she wanted to help. He also wanted to give her the opportunity to make a difference. A few weeks later, Nora's dad picked her up from a neighbor's apartment. He noticed a bowl of pennies and other things that were no longer needed. Nora's dad asked the neighbor if she would be willing to donate the pennies to help the homeless. She was excited to get rid of the stray pennies. She was even more excited to help her community.
