Members of Byron Generating Station's employee resource groups visited the nonprofit Rock House Kids July 10 in Rockford and presented the group with a check for $3,000. The money came from various fundraisers, including the sale of t-shirts from its recent refueling and maintenance outage. Rock House Kids strives to feed Rockford's inner-city children physically, spiritually and emotionally. Since 1999, the group has cared for kids ages 6-18 by providing a safe, warm and nurturing environment four evenings a week.
During its evening program the group serves hot meals, and kids enjoy music and instructional time. The program is led by adult volunteers who teach basic life skills, encourage the kids to do their best in school, and develop positive goals for their futures. At the end of each evening, the children leave with a bag of kid-friendly, non-perishable food items to help sustain them when they are away from the program. Throughout the year the group provides the children with important items such as coats, shoes, boots, socks, hats, mittens, hygiene supplies, blankets and pillows, flashlights, school supplies, and even birthday and Christmas gifts.
Pictured are (back row, from left) Exelon employees Simonas Simulis, Didrick Manahan and Noah Kwortnik, and (front row, from left) Exelon's Shelby Nieman, Rock House's Deanna Lacny (executive director) and Laurie Cook (board member), and Exelon's Amy Dalby, Kaitlyn Ziska, Lauren Nicole Ditmars and Morgan Evans.
