Tribal teen collecting pennies for presents

Tribal teenager Loren Hahn, 16, knows the value of a penny. Or, more accurately, the cumulative value of a lot of pennies.

For the second year in a row, she is collecting pennies to buy Christmas presents for the less fortunate.

Hahn started Pennies for Presents last year when she was 15. It is a nonprofit foundation that helps less fortunate families have a better holiday.

The goal, Hahn says, is to raise enough money through penny drives to help families in the local community - Hahn lives in Aurora, Ore. - who need a helping hand for Christmas.

The pennies provide food and gifts for children, and most of the gifts are educational.

In 2010, Hahn collected 75,000 pennies, or $750, which helped three families have a better Christmas.

This year, she is working with fellow Tribal member Ayana Buxton, an 8-year-old third-grader at McMinnville's St. John's Lutheran Church who is this year's Junior Miss Oregon.

Penny donations will be accepted at the Tribe by Shannon Simi at Tribal Social Services and Kandee Little and Melody Baker, who both work at the Tribe's Health & Wellness Center.

Hahn is a junior at North Marion High School and plays on the varsity soccer and softball teams, among her other interests.