4-H Youth Project Brings Joy to Veterans with Christmas Food Boxes

The Elliott County Extension Office and 4-H club have transformed surplus ham from our annual salt-cured country ham project into a holiday gift that touched the hearts of many veterans. The extra hams left over from the country ham project found a meaningful purpose this Christmas season, bringing a special touch to the lives of those who have served the country.

The 4-H Salt-Cured Ham Project 
Each year, the 4-H club embarks on an educational and hands-on project of raising and curing country hams using traditional salt-curing methods. The project teaches young people valuable skills in agriculture, business, and food preservation while creating a unique local product. As the project grew in popularity, it also led to an abundance of ham, and we began brainstorming ways to use the surplus in a way that would benefit others in the community. 

Turning Extra Hams into Holiday Gifts
The last couple years the extension office decided to take action by donating extra hams to create food boxes for veterans, ensuring they could enjoy a festive and hearty meal during the holiday season. The Elliott Extension took the extra hams to the local meat processing facility and had the hams sliced into generous portions and vacuum sealed to make for easy division into the boxes. In collaboration with The Elliott County Farm Bureau Board and a list of veterans from our local VFW, the community came together to pack boxes with the ham, along with other essential canned goods, and a dessert for the veteran who was gifted the box to enjoy.

The Impact on Veterans
For many of the veterans who received these boxes, the gesture went beyond the food itself—it was a symbol of appreciation and care. The hams donated by Elliott Co. Extension and the Farm Bureau Board, became a centerpiece of holiday meals, providing warmth, comfort, and a taste of home that they may not have had with out this program.  

Conclusion 
What started as a youth agricultural project blossomed into a beautiful tradition of giving back. This project worked out to be a great, unplanned success, serving 25-40 veterans with a Christmas ham meal each year for the past 3 years. The collaboration between the 4-H youth, The Elliott County Extension Office, Elliott County Ky Farm Bureau and our local veterans’ organizations has been a great success and a lot of fun for everyone involved. The Christmas food boxes for veterans has served as a reminder that the spirit of the holidays is truly about kindness, generosity, and community.