The Holiday Season traditionally encompasses the period of time spanning Thanksgiving to Christmas.  This is a time when people overwhelmingly have overcome differences and helped one another in a variety of ways- albeit through simple well wishes, sharing gifts or providing services. 2020 has been unlike any other year in history.  I’m sure everyone will agree.  While we have been forced to do things differently, let’s hope the spirit of giving and finding common reasons to celebrate once again emerge. KYSU Cooperative Extension in Central Kentucky has already embarked on this endeavor.  Two Hardin County based service entities have been assisted by extension professionals based in Elizabethtown.  Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent Chandra DeRamus and Community Outreach Coordinator Mason Crawford recently teamed up to assemble over 300 grab and go gift bags.

Nearly 150 kid bags were prepared over the two-day period.  On Thursday November 19, the first round of kids bags were put together. They included KYSU newsletters, a construction paper turkey craft project for Thanksgiving, a mac-n-cheese recipe card and a KYSU piggy bank to encourage financial savings.  The following day, the balance of the kid bags were assembled.  Instead of piggy banks, they included miniature pumpkins indicative of the festive season.  125 of these kid bags were shared with recipients via Communicare while another 25 were sent to Warm Blessings Soup Kitchen.  The November 20 adult bags too included newsletters from both Hardin County KYSU extension professionals, grocery list giveaway items to promote thrifty and well planned shopping and an acorn squash with cooking instructions for a delicious and easy to prepare baked apple dish using the squash shell as a bowl. Chandra’s newsletter insert revealed tips for preparing affordable side dishes for Thanksgiving meals and was aptly named “Dining on a Dime”, while Mason’s featured a local award of a KYSU Small Farmer grants to purchase a commercial freezer.  This food security outreach initiative was featured in the “To Infinity and Beyond-Buzz to the Rescue of Warm Blessings Soup Kitchen” article from my October 9 newsletter.   The majority of these adult bags were distributed in conjunction with the recipient community kitchen's walk up meal service. 

The miniature pumpkins and acorn squash were picked and donated by a local agri-tourism farm.  These festive, sweet and nutritious fruits were washed and included as the primary giveaway items in most of the kids gift bags and all of the adult versions.  When baked with apples, they make a great side dish or even desert, especially when topped with a browned marshmallow or meringue with sprinkled cinnamon.  Acorn squash is rich in nutrients, such as fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. It also packs many beneficial plant compounds, including carotenoid antioxidants. As a result, acorn squash may promote overall health and protect against certain chronic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  A summary of this activity too found its way into the final newsletter of 2020.  In closing, readers were encouraged as they continued through the Holiday season to remember those who are less fortunate.  Obviously this included individuals and families who are struggling financially or physically.  But also, they were reminded to keep in mind those who may be experiencing increased feelings of isolation.  With expanded social restrictions due to COVID-19 and colder weather preventing outdoor interactions, it was emphasized that more people that ever who could use a friendly text message, call or facetime chat.  In other words, stakeholders were reminded to be generous with all forms of giving at the conclusion this unprecedented year.