RUSSELLVILLE — Community service has always been a part of the 4-H program, but for new 4-H club in Pope County, community service is its primary focus.
The Better Together 4-H Club, organized in May, was championed by 12-year-old Abbi Johnson of Dover. Johnson and the other 18 members of the club wasted no time in getting started. They organized a diaper and baby-wipe drive for Joseph’s House of Russellville, a local organization that supports foster families.
The drive did net a much-needed supply of the items for the organization, but the drive also served another purpose, said Shelli Johnson, the club’s adult leader.
“We wanted to get the word out by letting people know, ‘Hey, there is a new club, and we are committed to community service,’” she said.
Shelli said she did not initially plan to be the club’s leader; however, because it was her daughter who kept pushing for the formation of the club, “I kind of got wrangled into it,” Shelli said.
In Pope County, there are 20 clubs with 384 youth, ages 5 to 19, enrolled in the clubs. However, 4-H programs have reached more than 1,500 youth this year, said Lauren Cannon, the Pope County extension agent who is responsible for programming and education for 4-H youth and volunteers.
While community service may not be the primary focus of all 4-H clubs, it has always been a part of the 4-H program, Cannon said.
“Our motto is ‘learn by doing,’ so 4-H members have always had a hands-on approach to their community,” she added.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that 4-H has something for everyone,” Shelli said. “It’s not just for families with livestock.”
Pope County is lucky to have an extension office in Russellville that is so dedicated to youth and the 4-H program, she said, adding that there are clubs available that focus on activities such as poultry, rabbits, horses, art, shooting sports, dogs and other interests.
While all 4-H clubs participate in community-service activities throughout the year, Shelli said, “I suggested starting a project club focusing specifically on community service because it was an area that would interest families that don’t do livestock projects but want to be involved in our community.
“Abbi loved the idea. The new 4-H season had already begun, so I told her to wait. But she kept bringing it up. After a while, I decided to go ahead and get the club up and running, with the help of many other involved parents. The Better Together 4-H club is definitely a joint effort.”
Shelli is no stranger to community service herself. Among her community-service activities, in addition to the 4-H program, is serving as a volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocates program.
Shelli said that volunteer spirit has been instilled in her daughter, “and community service is just a big part of her life.”
In Abbi’s case, she has participated in 4-H since she was 5 and has been involved in numerous community-
service projects, such as helping with roadside cleanups, volunteering at the Main Street Mission, visiting local nursing homes and walking dogs at local animal shelters, among other activities.
Abbi said community service is important “because if no one does anything, nothing will get done, and people who need help won’t get help.”
Plus, Abbi said, “I feel better after helping people.”
Better Together 4-H Club members are now gearing up for the group’s next big effort. For a month, from Sept. 12 to Oct. 11, the group will collect new and gently used shoes. Those shoes will be distributed worldwide through the Funds2Orgs program.
That effort has two purposes, Shelli said. First, the shoes will go to people in need. At the same time, the drive will serve as a fundraiser for the club. Funds2Orgs will pay 40 cents per pound for the shoes. The club will then take that money and use it to help fund community-service projects locally, Shelli said.
The club has a website, ourshoedrive.com/better-together-4-h-club, where more information about the project, how to make donations, etc., is available.
Once that project is complete, Better Together members will team up with the Pope County Extension Office with the existing Santa to a Senior project. Like the popular Salvation Army Angel Tree program, names are placed on a tree for adoption at Christmastime. In this effort, Shelli said, the names on the tree will be of local elderly citizens in need of basic necessities.
The Santa to a Senior project will be the club’s final effort for 2017. Shelli said she is unsure what projects will be undertaken next year but is excited about the club’s potential.
“We’re just getting started, so I look forward to see what it grows into,” she said.