Watch out for wild pigs in downtown Montpelier.
Not live pigs, of course. Mama, Maisie and Mary Jane are three large metal piggy banks created by local artist Aaron Ingham, who co-owns Bent Nails Bistro. For the past few weeks, they’ve been in front of Aubuchon Hardware and Bear Pond Books and on the Rialto Bridge, collecting change from passersby. The money will go to Just Basics food pantry.
Lauren Andrews, owner of AroMed Essentials and Capital Cannabis, came up with the idea. She was looking for a creative way to help Montpelier and was inspired by charity change drop boxes she’d seen elsewhere.
“They’re adorable,” Andrews said of the pigs. “Of course, I own a cannabis shop — we had to name one Mary Jane.”
This is the second summer for the pigs. Last year they hauled in more than $800, and “people really liked them and enjoyed it,” said Cadence Shae, development and communications manager for Just Basics. Demand at the food bank “has been steadily growing since 2020 and almost doubled,” Shae said. The Montpelier-based food shelf now serves about 1,300 people per month.
Andrews originally planned for the drop boxes to simply resemble mailboxes, but Ingham had other plans.
“I just thought, What better way to collect money than a giant piggy bank?” he said. “Kids love them. Adults love them. Animals love them.” Ingham used recycled water tanks and, in the case of the largest pig, Mama, an old air compressor. She doubles as a bench.
The pigs are placed in strategic spots to ensure safety and visibility. A thick padlock protects the donations, which Andrews collects nightly.
“We live in a very generous community, and sometimes people aren’t sure how they can best help,” Andrews told Seven Days.
So far, Andrews has delivered $1,200 to the food bank — far outpacing last year’s total haul.
Sam Hartnett’s work is supported by the University of Vermont’s Community News Service summer reporting program.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Penny Power”
This article appears in The Cartoon Issue 2025.
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