Helping through Community Service

Community service has been an important part of 4-H for many years. Each time that we recite the 4-H Pledge “I pledge my hands to larger service; For my club, my community, my country and my world” we are reminded of the importance of serving others. When youth volunteer, the community gains a generation of young people who care about where they live and are willing to make a commitment to improvement. Service learning is an educational strategy that involves students in meaningful service to their communities, while engaging in some form of reflection or study that is related to the service according to Youth Voice from Learn and Serve America Institute

The Barren River Animal Welfare Association.(BRAWA) is non-profit group that depends on donations for the upkeep and welfare of the animals that are their responsibility.  

In the Spring of 2022, the animal shelter facility experienced a flood where all of the animals had to be rescued and many supplies were lost. The Mammoth Cave Area 4-H Teen Council chose to help BRAWA as their community service project for the year. The BRAWA representatives brought two dogs to the Mammoth Cave Area 4-H Teen Council meeting to demonstrate the shelter’s ten step process of measuring animal temperament, special needs and overall adoptability of each animal brought to the shelter. The adoption process and expectations were discussed for the teens to have a better understanding of the family’s responsibilities. 

To help replenish supplies, the 4-H teens brought in over 110 needed supplies for the shelter  . A Barren County 4-H Teen Leader explained a recycling project of making dog toys from old t-shirts.  The Mammoth Cave Area 4-H Teen Council had a lot of fun making 75 dog toys while helping the environment using recycled materials. Through community service projects hopefully the 4-H teens will learn to give back to their communities.