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Savvy shopper Harry Nydick of Collingswood, NJ has already donated more than 322 pounds of non-perishable food and personal care items for his local food bank in 2004 -- all at very little personal expense. He is already ahead of pace for his goal to donate 1,500 pounds this year.

"I try to do what I can," Nydick said, recalling how personal setbacks in the last few years haven't stopped him from donating more than 1,000 pounds of food last year to the Food Bank of South Jersey.

Over the last few years, Nydick has become a master coupon clipper who turns local grocery store promotions into a constant source of nearly free products for the local organization. His biggest haul to date is purchasing $465 worth of groceries for just $9.50.

Each week Nydick gathers newspaper circulars and begins snipping out coupons. Then he pounces when local grocery stores offer to double or triple the coupon's value. By the time all the credits are added up, many products cost nothing or just a few pennies on the dollar.

In 2003, the 1,033 pounds he collected through his coupon chasing equaled 97 bags of groceries for the food bank. His goal this year is 1,500 pounds!

Nydick's inspiration comes from his long passion for Harry Chapin. Nydick had seen Chapin perform before he became a recording star, although Nydick didn't become a raving fan until 1978. Nydick committed himself to Chapin's belief that everybody can always find a way to help, even when times are tough. "Frankly, it was a lot easier to simply write a check to World Hunger Year when I was making good money a few years ago."

Over the last 10 years, Nydick has been recovering from a series of personal hurdles, including a serious car accident that resulted in a three years of disability, followed by and heart and cancer surgery. "Life can be tough when you don't have anything to look forward to," he said.

Nydick's most recent trip to the supermarket netted more than $67 in free food and other items for the Food Bank of South Jersey. After using his coupons and capitalizing on the store specials, he paid a mere 40 cents for all of the items pictured here.

Chapin's death also hit Nydick hard to the point he couldn't bear to listen to the music again until about 2002. Now Chapin's music and message keeps Nydick motivated as he struggles to keep financially afloat while recovering from his decade of setbacks.

Nydick credits Chapin for encouraging him to write music and poetry during their conversations when Nydick attended every Chapin concert he could find in the late '70s and early '80s. The most memorable event was in November 1980 when he performed a song he had written about Chapin before the singer-songwriter himself on the lobby steps of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.

The song called "The Man Who Sings Stories" is among Nydick's lifelong treasures, along with a photo of Chapin and Nydick's son, who ironically is named Corey. Nydick's son was named two years before Chapin wrote Corey's Coming.

Chapin's song "Changes" has become Nydick's personal anthem because his life is finally back in order. "I'm now 60 years old, but I feel a lot younger," Nydick added when reflecting on all the changes in his own life.

Those changes keep coming, including Nydick recently being followed by a local TV crew during a shopping trip to document how his coupon skills benefit the food bank. At the end, Nydick rang up $44.30 in groceries but paid just $3.90 after the coupon credits, and another bag of food was tallied for the food bank.

Watch for the Next Issue of Circle! on June 7