Members of three Lawrence Rotary clubs on Wednesday gathered to pack hundreds of snacks for kids in Lawrence Public Schools, Mary Doveton wrote in submitting these photos.
The service project is an attempt by the clubs to help combat childhood hunger at Lawrence schools, Doveton wrote.
“Teachers find that supplementary snacks during the school day mean that kids are less likely to be tired, are more attentive in class and retain more information,” she wrote.
“While parents of students are asked to provide a box of healthy shareable snacks once a month, this is beyond the means of many parents,” Doveton continued. There are nearly 2,000 students in grades 1 through 5 who are part of the free or reduced-price lunch program, “so it becomes a daunting task to provide every student with adequate snacks 5 days a week for an entire school year.”
The group has received a Rotary District grant for the coming year, and they’re now seeking cash donations to match the grant and provide an additional $8,000 to purchase snacks for students in community schools.
To donate to the project, contact Jane Bateman, co-chair of the Rotary Service Committee, at janerb@sunflower.com.
