Quota of Indiana Pennsylvania Press Releases

Photo credit: Kris Mellinger/Curly Bear Productions

From left: Quota International of Indiana, Pa., Inc., with 55 members, is a truly intergenerational club. Not only do we have mother-daughter members, we have members ranging in ages from 19 to 75. Pictured working on a recent project to collect new underwear for homeless children, are, from left,
Brenda DiCicco, president; Betsy Lauber, Meghan McMeans (our youngest member), Connie Minich, Meghan Foulk, District 3 Lieutenant Governor (expecting her second child!) and Kathy King.

More information about the Gutchies for Kidz project:

INDIANA, Pa. -- Quota International of Indiana, Pa.  Inc. collected more than 1,000 pairs of children’s “gutchies” (underwear) during the group’s “gutchies for kidz” collection for homeless children in the region during fall 2010-winter 2011. (Gutchies is Pittsburgh slang for underwear.)

The Indiana Quota club worked with the Armstrong-Indiana Intermediate Unit’s Pennsylvania Homeless Children’s Initiative to distribute the underwear to children in need.

The “Gutchies for Kidz” program began with Quota International of Hermitage in June, 2009. Club members became aware of the hundreds of homeless children in the western Pennsylvania region, and began a “Gutchies for Kidz” drive to provide these children with new underwear. The “gutchies” were distributed through the Pennsylvania Homeless Children’s Initiative.  The club collected more than 450 pieces of new underwear for children from June to October, and has expanded this project to pajamas and coats.

During the 2010 District III Quota conference, hosted by New Castle Quota, Quotarians made the decision to adopt the “Gutchies for Kidz” project as a district-wide project.

Quota International Inc. is a 90-year-old international service organization that links members of all ages, occupations and nationalities in a worldwide network of service and friendship.  With a motto of “we share,” Quotarians are known especially for their service to deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech impaired individuals and disadvantaged women and children.

Quota International of Indiana, with 50 active members, meets monthly at the Indiana Elks. Quota of Indiana celebrated its 54th anniversary in September.

In March, Quota of Indiana raised more than $12,000 through its sixth annual St. Patty’s Day Open for charitable initiatives in the community, and is actively planning for this year’s event on March 16, with a goal of raising $20,000.

In January, Quota of Indiana, in partnership with The Coney Island, raised more than $4,000 for the Alice Paul House during its eighth annual Alice Paul House fundraising event. To date, Quota International of Indiana has raised and donated more than $40,000 to the Alice Paul House. Quota International of Indiana is also a Bronze Sponsor for the Downtown Indiana Renaissance Indiana revitalization project.

The Club continues an active schedule of community service in addition to support of the Alice Paul House, including a mentoring program for girls and teens; donations of speech and hearing textbooks to area doctor’s offices, aging services and nursing homes; and has donated three sound amplification devices to area schools.