BROOKLYN. – On June 9th, Batey Relief Alliance’s CEO, Ulrick Gaillard attended an award ceremony organized by students from the W.E.B. Du Bois High School where he received a check for $250 to help the humanitarian work of his organization. “It is not the check or an amount that matters, but rather the spirit behind this honorable gesture by young children between the ages of 4 and 14 to be involved in philanthropic causes,” said Gaillard.

According to the Penny Harvest Foundation, over the winter time, these young people carefully study community needs and research capable organizations. And at the end of this transformative process, they select to support causes and funds organizations. “This is the third year the Batey Relief Alliance has been chosen by the students to receive grants. They collect every cent they can find—one penny at a time—with the thought of helping poor children who are infected by HIV/AIDS inside the bateyes of the Dominican Republic,” added Gaillard.

Last fall, New York City students gathered over 60 million pennies—or $600,000—and turned them into thousands of grants to charity organizations like the Batey Relief Alliance. Gaillard shared the opinion of Penny Harvest that these grants represent an opportunity for organizations to join in educating and rallying the next generation of advocates, funders and community leaders.