According to the U.S. Census (2022) the median household income in Fulton County is $33,449. The cost for one 4-Her to attend 4-H Summer Camp is $300 plus the cost of transportation. Many families in Fulton County do not have the resources to allow their children to attend 4-H Camp. Even if the cost of 4-H Camp was only $200, many families would find it difficult to come up with the extra money. It isn’t that 4-H Camp is too expensive. It costs less than many other camps, but the resources that our families have are limited.

The Fulton County 4-H Council made it their mission in 2021 to allow all kids that wanted to go to 4-H Camp to be able to go without this financial burden. The Fulton County Extension District Board agreed to pay the programming cost for fifty campers. Along with using the District Board, 4-H Council funds, and several regular community supporters helps offset the cost of 4-H Camp.

Since 2021, Fulton County 4-H has been able to take a total of 175 campers at West Kentucky 4-H Camp in Dawson Springs. 4-H Camp has ranged from $125-$150 which is a huge discount from the state fee of $300. We were able to give local youth in our community a tremendous opportunity that they may not have otherwise been able to take part in.

This year, we took 45 campers/teens to camp and the total cost to attend was $125. Parents show their appreciation in numerous ways by attending mandatory meetings, paying their part of camp fees, and turning in the required paperwork. The youth show their appreciation by behaving, writing thank you notes, and taking advantage of the opportunity to experience new things. Our volunteer leaders show their appreciation by giving of their time and expressing the reason they do it is because they see the real benefit of camp and the youth thrive. The numbers from 2021 to 2024 has gradually increased as well.