(01/13/09) - How much change do you have in
your home? The average American home has a collection of $90 in loose coins occupying
space in nooks and crannies. That’s an estimated $10 billion in change languishing in
homes across America.Roll, wrap and deposit enough of those coins and you may almost
begin to feel solvent. This Saturday, Akron Saves starts Roll Your Change Week to
encourage citizens to deposit their change once a year at their local banks and credit
unions during this week-long event. The program is part of Mayor Don Plusquellic’s
savings initiative announced last September.
Roll Your Change Week focuses awareness not only on the value of loose change but on
money, banking and saving. Akron will be reminded once each year during Roll Change Week
to gather up their spare change from their homes, automobiles and offices and rush it down
for deposit at their neighborhood branch bank.
Round it up, roll it up and deposit the coins at one of the participating banks or
credit unions to start earning interest. Incentives will vary from institution to
institution. See the partner incentive programs at: www.akronsaves.org.
Wrapped change can be deposited into an existing savings account or open a special
savings account starting Saturday, January 17-24th, 2009.
Most major financial institutions in Akron partner with Akron Saves for
Roll Your Change Week.
Background:
Akron is the first city in the nation to become a so-called Savings Community' in a
special initiative by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and America Saves, a nonprofit
group that encourages consumer savings and debt reduction. Akron was chosen, in part,
because of Mayor Don Plusquellic's leadership of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2004 and
2005, during which time the Dollarwise savings program was launched.
Savings Communities Initiative is a product of the non-profit Consumer Federation of
America and the USCM.
The special program began in September of 2008 as part of Dollarwise Week, a financial
education program focusing on schools. The initiative will continue until America Saves
Week, which starts Feb. 22, 2009.
The initiative hopes to get Akron to come up with a savings goal of $1 million by
giving individuals opportunities to partner with money counselors to remake their budgets
and to offer other financial education.
Akron Savings Banking Partners
Akron Savings Business & Community Partners
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Contact:
Billy Soule- Community Relations Director 330 375 2660
