4-H Homemakers Club 2018

As an increase of substance abuse in Carroll County is upon us, several organizations have talked about what to do with youth to help solve the program. The Cooperative Extension Service, Carroll County School System, FUEL, TRIAD, and Three Rivers Health Department had several meetings and the solution seems to be to introduce youth to more life skills and the opportunity to spend time as a family.

A 4-H Homemakers Club was started in Carroll County for youth and their parent or guardian. Over the course of a year, participants learned skills such as beginning cooking, sewing, table manners, simple gardening, basic cleaning skills, and financial management. Parents or guardians participated with their child.

The group met for an hour and a half per month for nine months. After the first month two parents said they learned a new cooking skill and one youth said they had never cooked before. Before the manners class, no one was able to set a table properly.  After the class, 98% of the participants did it correctly. At the second meeting, two fathers attended the sewing project class with their child.

 Twenty two youth between the ages of 5 and 15 and 18 adults were registered in the program.   Two youth were male

In the 3rd session, participants learned about diversity by learning about holiday traditions. (Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah)

During the Spring, members learned the history of quilts and colors. cake decorating, green cleaning and how to plant flowers. Several of the members said, "I have never made a flower out of icing before."