Penny drive made positive change
Published on April 16, 2026
In support of the Utilities Assistance Program (UAP), the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) recently led an effort to turn pennies into positive impact, raising an extra $240 for the program.
Funded through the generous, voluntary contributions of utility customers and community members, the UAP provides regular assistance to qualified, low-income residential customers as well as customers who are qualified through the Social Security Administration for Supplemental Security Income (generally customers over the age of 65). The program also allows one-time assistance to account holders who demonstrate need due to unforeseen, unusual circumstances.
The U.S. stopped making pennies last fall, which means the pennies in your pocket are slowly being phased out of circulation. The DPU collected pennies and other small change first through a challenge to Los Alamos County employees, and then through a public penny drive. The mission was clear: those pennies that were sitting in jars, junk drawers and car consoles had the potential to be shifted from forgotten to meaningful in one quick trip to the Los Alamos County Municipal Building.