Wakulla 4-H Volunteers Continue to Serve Our Community During the Coronavirus Emergency

The coronavirus has not slowed down our 4-H volunteers and faculty. From designing virtual summer camps to staying connected to 4-H youth and families, the 4-H team has been committed to maintaining the program momentum.

Volunteers have been taking advantage of online webinars on 4-H programming, holding virtual club meetings, spreading the word to 4-H families about community resources, as well as planning for the next program year that will begin in September, making masks, and completing special ongoing projects that benefit the whole 4-H county program.  

4-H Crafty Creators leader Karen James started sewing masks that she donated to essential workers. 4-H members from her club and other clubs soon followed her lead.

Panacea 4-H Explorers leaders Rhonda Lundy and Sherrie Posey Miller have used the club Facebook group to alert their members and families to community resources including food distribution, virtual 4-H activities, and more.

Cooking For Life Leader Samantha Isaacs held an end of the school year virtual awards ceremony for her 4-H club youth.

Bits and Bridles 4-H Club Leaders used their club Facebook group to share video examples of at-home learning opportunities and ways to build skills with and without a horse. Both youth and adults shared their videos on social media to illustrate their at-home activities.

Members of the 4-H Advisory Council have also continued to serve the organization. Advisory Council members have met virtually to start planning the 4-H Open House scheduled for August 29.  Shooting Sports volunteer program leader Ken Gooding is leading the planning committee for this year’s event. More details will be available in the coming weeks on this family-friendly full day event. He will be seeking event sponsors. For more information, contact [email protected].

In early May, Council Board Chair Quincee Messersmith hosted a virtual panel with Apalachee Center CEO Dr. Jay Reeve and 4-H Program Director Rachel Pienta to discuss how to plan for summer activities and the free virtual 4-H camps available to our youth. For more information and links to register for camp, visit https://florida4h.org/programsandevents_/4-h-adventures/.

Advisory Council member Al Pasini is leading a by-laws revision committee. The 4-H county by-laws have not been revised since 2011. In the last nine years, the county 4-H Association has been dissolved and the functions previously held by the Association have been assumed by the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is comprised of community leaders who generously donate their time and talent to support 4-H. The 2020-21 Advisory Council includes Quincee Messersmith, Jared Miller, Desiree Gorman, Al Pasini, Shirley Howard, Verna Brock, Greg James, Padraic Juarez, Marva Preston, and Jay Reeve.  Dr. Jay Reeve will begin his first term with the Advisory Council August 1, 2020. 

One of our most labor-intensive projects has been continued through the summer. Advisory Council volunteer Greg James has been maintaining slow but steady progress on refurbishing three sets of old bleachers that had been out of use for many years. These bleachers are slated to become part of our outdoor Extension instruction area. 4-H programs such as Archery will be able to use this space which has outdoor lighting to extend our scheduling capacity. The goal is to complete the bleacher reconstruction by late August, then add signage and landscape elements.

For information about volunteer opportunities and 4-H programs, please call 850-926-3931 or visit our website at https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/wakulla/4-h/.