4-H has a rich history of completing service projects to benefit the community. The 4-H pledge includes the words, “I pledge my hands to larger service for my club, my community, my country and my world.” Through 4-H, young people have opportunities to design their own service learning based upon what they see is a need in their community. Once the need is identified, 4-H members decide how to address the need, whether it is conducting a food drive for the local food bank or picking up litter along a state highway or providing hot meals for families in need, 4-H members learn valuable skills from addressing the needs of the community.

Fresh off a Thanksgiving community service project that addressed a need of the homeless in downtown Lexington in which the club provided blankets and pre-packaged cups of hot chili to the homeless, Montgomery County’s This Land is Our Land 4-H Leadership Club was ready for another service project.  The devastating tornadic storms of December 10 that hit communities in western, south central and central Kentucky provided an opportunity for the members to plan their service work.

Club members decided to take a part of their holiday break to travel to Bowling Green to do their good works.  Making contact with a local church for lodging accommodations, they worked with the church’s youth group leader to link up with the community disaster relief coordinator to offer their help.

Over a four-day period, the club members worked with the FEMA Disbursement Center to help organize incoming donations and distribute necessities to benefit tornado victims; distributed clothing to families in need; assisted with storm cleanup by picking up debris on damaged properties of elderly victims; and handed out gift cards donated by a Mount Sterling church for families who suffered losses from the violent tornado.

How did the club members benefit from witnessing the tragedy and devastation, as one member stated, “Some of us couldn’t fathom what it meant to lose so much.”   But the members saw families who lost everything, homes destroyed, devastation so great it was difficult to know where to begin picking up the pieces…and the club members were inspired to do as much as they could in their time that they were there to serve. 

The club leader stated that she was pleased the students took the opportunity to go and learn a valuable lesson in the need to serve others.  As one member stated, it is important to be kind and make connections, because it gives one a strong support system.  That strong support system is key to helping a community cope…and weather any storm.”