At Good Cents for Oakland, we believe that it's never to early to begin teaching the importance of working in the community. Yet, there are few opportunities for families with young children to participate in community service activities.

Good Cents for Oakland provides a free curriculum specifically designed for pre-k and kindergarten-aged school children. The curriculum is filled with circle time stories and discussions, songs, books and art projects intended to present the importance of helping others and to raise the childrens' awareness about hunger in our community. The children also learn about different types of coins and gather pennies for the Alameda County Community Food Bank.  

Children paint bowls "Empty Bowls"

Why pennies? Most people discount the value of a penny, just as they discount the ability of a young child to help others. Each penny (or other coin) a small child collects and puts in a Good Cents for Oakland penny jar becomes a "Good Cent", helping the Food Bank fight hunger in our community.  100% of the money raised by the children is given to the Food Bank. 

See how school children are helping our community.
Current Schools

It's Time to End Hunger

The Alameda County Community Food Bank awarded Good Cents for Oakland the Hope Not Hunger award for its work to fight hunger in Oakland.  “Working together we can fight hunger and our award recipients represent the broad spectrum of our Food Bank’s supporters and donors—from large companies to smaller grassroots organizations,” says Food Bank executive director Suzan Bateson.

Schools participating in the Good Cents for Oakland Hunger Program receive six weeks of program curriculum, materials and copies of our Hunger Penny Pages, created especially for parents.  Good Cents for Oakland provides training for all teachers and free Program facilitation for the first year.

Read our Hunger Penny Pages