A Journey that Started with Dante's 60 Cents

Perhaps it is fitting, since they are across the street from the County 9/11 Center, that the "first response" on this drive came from City Hall Employees.  They had received emails and pictures from fellow employee, John  Gessner, in Afghanistan, telling the plight of young children.  Deeply touched by by these, City employees were preparing for an  internal campaign to collect monetary donations and needed items.  They had placed pictures and emails at visible locations throughout City Hall to advertise the campaign.

Then Dante, the 11-year-old grandson of a City Hall employee, came to the building to see his Grandma.  After looking at the pictures and studying the emails, he came up to the collection basket and started removing his sneakers, wanting to send them to the orphans.  Adults in the vicinity thanked him for his generosity, but told him the gesture might not be appropriate.  At that, Dante reached into his pocket, took out his lunch money, and placed it in the basket.  His 60 cents was the first donation!

A little over a month later, that 60-cent donation had swelled to 20 boxes of needed items - school supplies, clothes, toys.  These weighed a total of 331 pounds, and were shipped at a cost of $281 (paid by employee contributions).  

On November 14th,  $310.60 in additional funds collected were sent to John Gessner.  Some of the key participating employees are in the photo below: