Rotary Club of Quincy gives $3,500 to Kidzpacks program

QUINCY — The Rotary Club of Quincy presented a $3,500 check on Tuesday, Dec. 20, to Kidzpacks, a non-profit organization that helps provide food to Quincy Public Schools students.

The donation was made possible thanks to a $2,750 grant from Rotary District 6460. On Thursday, Dec. 15, a group of Rotarians helped pack 2,000 snack bags that were distributed to more than 1,000 students the following day, QPS’s last before the holiday break.

In a press release, Rotary Club of Quincy president Jayne Fry said, “Kidzpacks director Jessica Dedert made a wonderful presentation to Rotary earlier this year. After hearing about what the group was doing for our children, we knew we wanted to help in any way possible.”

Kidzpacks provides weekend meals and snacks to pre-K through fifth grade students in Quincy Public Schools who are enrolled in the free lunch program. Approximately 56.7 percent of QPS students qualify for the program.

The funds Kidzpacks received from Rotary helped purchase extra items for the holiday packs.

“We were able to give the kids something for every day (of the holiday break),” Dedert told the Rotary at its Dec. 20 meeting. “That has never been done before.”

For more information about Kidzpacks, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Kidzpacks.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Quincy, visit www.QuincyRotary.org.