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Ms. Cheap's Penny Drive

A woman stands smiling in front of a stone wall, holding a can of food beside a donation bin labeled Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Donate Here! in a public indoor setting.

When we pool together a little here and a little there, we can make a big impact!

Ms. Cheap wants your loose change! Since 2009, the fund drive led by Mary Hance (aka newspaper columnist Ms. Cheap) has raised more than $2 million – the equivalent of 8 million meals!

Join Us!

This year's Penny Drive takes place December 1-31, 2025. Invite your company, church, group, school, or family to participate.

Most groups turn the Penny Drive into a little friendly competition. For example, one year a family offered an ice cream party to the first St. Bernard Academy homeroom to fill its can. Logistics firm V. Alexander & Co. rewarded Penny Drive donations with a fun perk - blue jean Fridays.

The Penny Drive can be both in-person and virtual. Due to the limited number of penny collection cans available, we highly recommend taking your Penny Drive online this year. Email Valerie Victor, and she’ll get your team set up online here. From there, all you have to do is share your team’s link, and watch the pennies roll in!

If you decide to collect coins and cash, please drop off your Penny Drive donations at one of these locations:

Sign Up Now
A hand drops a coin with a dollar sign into a jar filled with coins, symbolizing saving money. The image is in a simple green outline style on a light blue background.
A smiling woman with short blonde hair holds a donation can and a large jar labeled Ms. Cheap Wants Your Pennies, encouraging people to donate spare change for a fundraiser.

Ms. Cheap wants to hear how you collect!

We love reading how people get creative with their penny collecting! Do you have a favorite Penny Drive story? Tag Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, or send us an email!
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