PowerPhilanthropy
Marti Mercuri (pictured above) instills in her students a respect for all life, no matter how small. When she heard about The Columbus Foundation’s PowerPhilanthropy Match Day 2.0, she decided to teach her kindergarten class at Berwick Alternative Elementary School a lesson about how, just by collecting pennies, they could make a difference in the lives of some of their favorite animal friends. Her 27 students searched couch cushions and car seats, and did extra chores to collect their $100 in change. At 2:00 p.m. on November 19, the whole class cheered as Mrs. Mercuri made their online gift, which was matched with $50 by The Columbus Foundation. Their $150 went to Ohio Nature Education, a nonprofit offering environmental education programs to schools like theirs.
