Citytv collecting pennies for Daily Bread

The federal government plans to phase out the penny this fall and Citytv wants to take advantage of the coins pooled in junk drawers or sitting in a jar on your dresser before the copper pieces disappear for good.

Breakfast Television put out a call to penny collectors, offering to pick up viewers’ one-cent coins and pass them along to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Email your address and phone number to comments@bttoronto.ca and a member of the crew will come to pick up your coins. (Your information will be kept confidential.)

BT cameraman Bert Dandy set out around 5:30 a.m. Friday with a blue bucket in hand collecting pennies from people across the city.

We’ll pick up your coins until the Citytv Spring Food Drive on Wednesday at the Loblaws at Victoria Park Avenue and Gerrard Street.

Daily Bread is aiming to raise $300,000 and collect 300,000 pounds of food by April 13. So far, the charity is falling far short of its goal.

“Although the Spring Drive is always a bit slower than our other drives, these donation levels are unprecedentedly low and I am worried we won’t make it,” said executive director Gail Nyberg.   

“I know that with all the talk of cuts, wage freezes and job losses over the past few days that donating to a food bank is not quite top of mind, but we hope that people out can still hear us over all that noise and remember that every dollar counts and every can makes a difference.”

To donate, go to www.dailybread.ca or call 416-203-0050. Cheques can be mailed to Daily Bread Food Bank at 191 New Toronto St., Toronto, Ont., M8V 2E7.

All Toronto fire halls, and some Loblaws, No Frills or Valumart grocery stores are accepting non-perishable food during the drive.

The items most needed are baby formula and food, peanut butter, canned fruit or vegetables, canned fish or meat, dried pasta and tomato sauce, powdered, canned or Tetra Pak cartons of milk, macaroni and cheese, bags of rice, cans of lentils and beans, hearty soup or stew and bags of lentils.

Click here for more information.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today