TAMPA'S BREADCOIN TOKENS

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE

V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 1, January 7, 2024, Article 24

TAMPA'S BREADCOIN TOKENS

Charity tokens are nothing new, but the concept seems to get reinvented every generation or two. Tampa, FL is the latest city to adopt "Breadcoin" tokens. Found via News & Notes from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (Volume IX, Number 29, January 2, 2024) -Editor

The Tampa Downtown partnership is working with several restaurants and food trucks to offer those in need with a unique currency to use at select locations. It's called Breadcoin.

According to the founders of Breadcoin, the token is worth $2.50 and works like a community-wide gift certificate at participating food vendors.

June Brown, a homeless liaison for the Tampa Downtown Partnership, walks around several blocks speaking with homeless and offers them a meal using the coins.

These bread coins are the best thing. You don't have to worry about them saying ‘hey, excuse me, do you have a dollar? Do you have any money you can spare?', Brown said.

Brown will ask someone in need if they are hungry and either go and get them a meal or bring them along. It provides a homeless person a chance at having options on what to eat.

It gives them a sense of independence; they do something for themselves, Brown said. It ensures you know where that money is going and it helps our small businesses in the long run, too.

The program first launched in February. It's funded by donations and corporate gifts. Several businesses, like Moxies Café, are participating.

So far, organizers are calling it a success and could expand the program to include more locations in the near future.

For more information, see:
https://breadcoin.org/

I believe we've discussed charity tokens from as early as the 1700s, but I'm having trouble finding articles in our archive. Is there a more general descriptive name for tokens used to give the poor in lieu of actual money? It's a demeaning practice if you ask me, but backers frame it as a way to encourage gifting from people who don't trust the recipients to spend it "properly" - i.e. for food, clothing etc. vs. liquor, drugs, gambling, etc. The Breadcoin site says they "ensure everyone has the dignity of choice," but tokens good only for certain products at certain places doesn't sound like "choice" to me. -Editor

To read the complete article, see:
Breadcoin' program in Tampa provides homeless with a unique currency (https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2023/12/27/a-program-in-downtown-tampa-provides-homeless-with-a-unique-currency-)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: DECEMBER 24, 2017 : 1904 Beirut Charity Token (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n53a14.html)
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 31, 2017 : More on Charity Tokens (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n54a11.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE

V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE