DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BREADCOINS

Jeffrey Carter, who is homeless, carried two gold-colored coins in his palm as he approached the Mission Muffins cafe trailer in Northwest Washington to exchange them for a breakfast burrito and apple juice. The quarter-size coins — each worth $2.20 and inscribed with part of the Lord’s Prayer and an image of wheat — were “Breadcoins,” a new form of currency in the District intended for people in need.

Inspired by the popularity of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, Breadcoins have circulated in the District since 2016, but they are still relatively unknown. They are an option for people who worry that giving money to those in need might be used to fuel an addiction.

“People don’t want to give to people who drink alcohol and use drugs,” Carter, 56, said this week as he waited for his food. “It’s a new way to give.”

Carter got his Breadcoins at the Central Union Mission, where he has been living since August, when he relocated from Connecticut. The shelter serves meals, but using Breadcoins at Mission Muffins gives him more options and allows him to feel like a paying customer.

Central Union Mission disburses the coins to residents who take its workforce development classes. Breadcoin co-founder Scott Borger often distributes the coins to people when he volunteers at the shelter each week.

The coins are the product of his entrepreneurial venture, which encourages people to buy coins for $2.50 each and distribute them to people who are hungry or to participating nonprofit groups. Each coin is redeemable for $2.20 worth of food at one of six vendors in the District, with a combined 11 locations. The value difference keeps the nonprofit organization running.

Some items at Mission Muffins are priced so that they can be bought with one Breadcoin. For example, a Breadcoin will buy a muffin, a twin pack of scones or a cup of coffee. For items that cost more, people can pay with multiple coins or make up the difference with cash.

Borger, who is also an economist at the National Credit Union Administration, said the project gives him a different perspective on the city than his job does.

“In a room with people who are talking about billion-dollar deals, it’s good to be reminded on occasion that $100 or even $25 can be a huge difference in someone’s budget,” he said.

During the commute to her job near Union Station, Melanie Weldon-Soiset frequently gives Breadcoins to people who ask her for money. She started buying the coins about two years ago, when she attended church with the co-founders.

Each coin comes with a list of vendors that accept it. Some people are grateful, some are confused, and still others have rejected the coins, Weldon-Soiset said. She said carrying a few Breadcoins in her purse has taught her to feel more compassionate toward other people’s suffering.

To read the complete article, see:
‘Breadcoin’ is a new currency in D.C. for people in need (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/01/11/breadcoin-is-new-currency-dc-people-need/?utm_term=.8aa56f4aaf70)

To visit the Breadcoin web site, see:
https://breadcoin.org/

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web