Montreal man walks the city streets, donating coins he finds to charity

When Young S. New walks down the street, he's typically looking down, trying to spot a forgotten coin.

The Montreal resident, a 77-year-old grandfather of five, searches for coins on the ground, as well as inside pay phones and by parking meters. This is good exercise, but also something he does because as a child, he was taught to "respect the penny," New told CBC News. "It costs about 11.2 cents to make a nickel. Losing one nickel means 16.2 cents is gone."

New started a coin-collecting club, the Montreal Hainneville Collectors, and has taught members all about stamps and currencies. Over the last 12 years, he's found hundreds of dollars worth of change, donating it to the homeless he encounters on the street, his church, and The Montreal Gazette Christmas Fund, which helps the needy during the holidays. "Mr. New is somebody you can't forget," former member of parliament Isabelle Morin told CBC News. "He's a very generous man."

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