BELLEVUE, Wash. — Coinstar Inc., operator of self-service coin-counting and financial services kiosks, announced that this month it crossed the $20 million mark in consumer coin donations to nonprofit organizations since its Coins That Count program started in 1997. Organizations such as The American Red Cross, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The March of Dimes, The U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and The World Wildlife Fund have benefited.
Most recently, Coinstar has teamed up with The Ellen DeGeneres Show to raise much-needed funds for America's Second Harvest–The Nation's Food Bank Network, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Each dollar donated will provide 16 meals to hungry Americans.
"Caring everyday is a core value that Coinstar has held from the beginning," said Alex Camara, senior vice president and general manager of worldwide coin. "The Coins that Count program is key in delivering that value. This program represents an ongoing relationship between Coinstar, the non-profit community, and our retail customers that is truly gratifying for us as a company."
Coinstar's donation program was first introduced in the greater Seattle area nine years ago and has grown from processing approximately $200,000 per year in 1997 to processing more than $4 million nationally in 2005. During this time, the Coinstar network has been used to raise funds for relief efforts in disasters such as 9/11, the 2004 tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina.
