The Covid-19 Pandemic brought challenges, the Metcalfe 4-H Council and Extension Staff wanted a way to continue the high quality educational programs to be able to continue through the world wide pandemic. Child poverty is prevalent in this rural county, with 37% of children considered to be living in poverty according to www.kidscounty.org   Metcalfe County Extension did not want to lose connection with families here so they took this as an opportunity to create a new avenue of programming. 

The Metcalfe County 4-H agent and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Assistant started a new “Go Bags” and “Go Garden”. These bags have educational materials for all age. They are placed outside of the Extension office in a tote for individual pickup at their convenience. This program would be a joint effort to outreach to 50 families each week.  Each bag included educational material relevant to youth and adults such as hand-washing information, food safety, new recipes, ideas for being physically active, and tips for dealing with stress and conflict.  The bags also included activities such as materials to make a mask, bracelet making, smoothie making and more. Families also received kitchen items like spatulas, measuring spoons, and colanders.  Some weeks footballs, Frisbees or kites were included as well as aprons. Some weeks the bags had free garden plants and gardening resources. The Metcalfe County 4-H Council received a $250.00 grant for the 4-H Foundation to help make the Metcalfe Mask “Go Bags”. There has been an over whelming amount of people that look forward to their bag each week.

The bags were a huge success for the community.  Facebook was used to advertise the bags and people came to know that Mondays would be Go Bag days. Some of the posts reached over 500 people. If people knew they wouldn’t be able to make it to the office, they contacted the 4-H or SNAP and they delivered the bags to them.  

Home School 4-H Mom says “This is amazing for our children, they look forward to see what is in their bag each week!” “It is so much fun they don’t really realize they are learning so many different things!” 

One mom who was faithful to get the Go Bag each week said, “The kids decided we needed a garden this year….but here is the best part… We all 4 got out there together and created and planted our garden!  It was time spent together outdoors and yesterday we picked our very first squash and zucchini!   The smiles and excitement was worth every bit of it! We got most of our plants from the Metcalfe County Extension.   They’ve had bags out every week with things for families to do. Thank you so much for doing that! And even for dropping us a couple bags when we didn’t make it to town!”