Penny for Your Thoughts - Another Installment of the Penny Experiment

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about the Penny Experiment an admirable project that is trying to turn a single found penny into $1 million in food for food banks.  One hundred artists have signed up to make a postcard that will later be sold to benefit food banks.  The next project in this series is one hundred "Penny for Your Thoughts" books that will be circulated for people to write down or illustrate their thoughts.  Once each book is completed it will be returned to the Penny Experiment originator (Jeffrey Strain) and the books in turn will be sold for the same purpose.  How cool is that?  Of course I had to start a book too!

Here is the cover:

This blank book belonged to my dear friend Andrea Marrs who passed away last May.  It was marked with my name on it in her art room for me to take and do something with.  It has sat in my cabinet for over a year waiting for the "right" project, and this is it.  So Book #9 is dedicated to Andrea (I think she'd be pleased).  Here is what the book looked like originally:

I hope you agree I've improved it...or at least made it more interesting.

The instructions appear on the front inside pages:

 

And the mailing instructions for the finished project are inside the back cover:

I also made a two-page spread inside the book.  Here is the left side:

The right side is just my writing - basically saying that I am grateful to be able to help with the project instead of being one of the many who rely on food banks in North America.  An ever-increasing number of children rely on food banks, and many of the adults work, so if you have a pre-conceived notion of the "skid row" soup kitchen I encourage you to research the current state of poverty in North America.

If you're still reading and wondering how to get involved, please take a look at the Penny Experiment blog and consider joining one of the projects, or starting your own book, or purchasing a piece of art when they become available.  Or, if you'd like to take my book to pass around please leave a comment on this post and let me know (don't forget your contact info).  I have toyed around with trying to get this book completed here in Canada, but because the food banks that will be helped are in the US, I think that the book has a better chance of getting completed in the US, so I would love to mail it to someone in the States. 

Comments

[Jackie McColl]

Hey Cindy! I would love to do a page for you before you send it off to the US! Ship it to me at work if you like and I will do it ASAP :) What an awesome idea- I love it!

[Bleubeard and Elizabeth]

I am still collecting "fodder" for my collage, and here you are already working on the next part of the Penny Experiment.

As for food banks, I learned yesterday (when I was calling everyone I knew trying to get the collage fodder I needed to complete my art piece) that there is only ONE in Kansas and it distributes food to all Kansas towns. Can you imagine having to be responsible for all the towns in a state? I was floored. I am so glad you called attention to this worthy project.

[Joy Meadows]

Hey, Cindy! I would love to do a two-page spread and then pass it on - maybe to an ARTchix yahoo group gal??? I am sure it would get filled in record time and be sent in to be sold! Let me know if it is coming my way. : ) Joy

[Cheryl Carraway]

Hi, Cindy! I would love to do a page. I do a lot of charity work and help many children and their families by accepting Medicaid through my dental office.My contact info:Cheryl Carraway, 1117 SE Second Street, Snow Hill, NC 28580, USA
Thanks for the opportunity!!

Cheryl

[Jackie McColl]

Hey Joy and Cheryl! Cindy is mailing me the book on Monday- I will do my part and sent it off to either of you- let me know :) Happy New year to all!
Cheers,
Jackie