Ten dollars doesn't buy much of anything anymore. It will barely get you into a movie, it only buys a few groceries, and forget trying to buy a tank of gas for anything under $50.

But, for concerned citizens, $10 buys two parenting sessions. The Boys & Girls Club gets 40 servings of milk for $10. Our local Lutheran Communities Services can buy an emergency dinner for a family of five with $10. Those are just some of the 27 agencies United Way supports with donations from the community.

For a seemingly insignificant amount of money, peoples' lives can be improved tremendously. This is why United Way's Coins for Change Youth Challenge is so important for our community, especially in these financially tight times.

Coins for Change is a call to youth to donate their spare change in order to reach the set goal of 1 million coins. (One million pennies equals $10,000.) Clallam County kids of all ages are encouraged to collect and donate all the spare change they can to improve their own community and make a big difference with a little change.

United Way will collect the change gathered and distribute it back into the community through its 27 partner agencies. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to make a difference in our own way, where every cent really counts.

The Coins for Change kick-off starts

Nov. 1 with the dropping of the first coin and will wrap up Dec. 1. Donations of coins can be dropped off at any First Federal or anywhere else Coins for Change signs are found.

This is a great opportunity for kids of all ages to learn what United Way does for our community and how their donation makes a difference. If you or your children are interested in learning more about United

Way or Coins for Change, visit the United

Way Myspace at www.myspace.com/

unitedwayclallam or call the United Way office at 457-3011.

It is your cent, your community and your choice. Please Live United and support Coins for Change.

Colleen Murphy-Carey is a student board member of United Way of Clallam County and a student at Peninsula

College.