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Community Pride projects accomplished


		July 28, 2010

	The Lacrosse Loyal Workers 4-H club chose to help the Heron Lake-Okabena Food Shelf as their Community Pride project this year.

The Lacrosse Loyal Workers 4-H club chose to help the Heron Lake-Okabena Food Shelf as their Community Pride project this year. “SSC holds an annual food donation drive during December,” explained club leader Anne Wagner. “We thought, why not have a food drive all year?” As part of that, members have been asked to donate items or cash at each meeting. This fall, when families are cleaning out their gardens, they are asked to bring the extra garden produce to the food shelf. Bardene Peter, director of the food shelf, has spoke at LaCrosse meeting about the food shelf. She explained that 45-55 people use the food shelf each month, and it takes $1200-1800 in food supplies to maintain the local food shelf. “The last couple years have been very tough for people in our area, struggling to make ends meet,” said Peter. “The economy remains down and jobs are difficult to obtain and to keep.” Those in need utilize the food shelf for a variety of reasons, including unemployment, under employment, homelessness, sudden loss of a family member or income, poor personal choices, addictions and many other unfortunate reasons. About one bag per person in a family, and a bag or two extra of toiletries, hygiene supplies and paper products are available for those utilizing the food shelf. Coupons for eggs and milk at the local grocery stores are also given. The United Methodist Church Youth Group provides a weekly services so guests can use the food shelf. “Many times the circumstances are not pretty,” explained Peter. “but they are real and the youth are dedicated to assuring the needs of those less fortunate in our communities.” The Food Shelf joined with Western Community Action and Second Harvest to help with the increased needs over the past few years. Peter explained to the 4-H club members the connection between poverty and literacy. “Our youth believe a child who is hungry cannot learn and often becomes an adult who cannot earn a living.” “Our goal is 100 pounds of non-perishable food items and $20 in cash before the end of the 4-H year,” Wagner added. They’ve reached the halfway point of their goal, and know that any amount of donations, big or small, is appreciated. At the end of the calendar year, the youth and other food shelf volunteers host a Christmas supper and party for those who have needed the food shelf in the past year. A supper, gifts and games are among the plans for the annual event. “We know we are making a difference in the community with our commitment to donate to the food shelf,” Wagner said. The Rost Rustlers 4-H club voted on the idea of cleaning gravestones at area cemeteries as their Community Pride project. Barb Post wrote a grant for funding from the Southwest Initiative Foundation and Heron Lake-Okabena Community Foundation. The club received a grant for $220 for supplies. Three speakers came to the Rost 4-H club meetings to give further information about the project. In March, Jean Newman from Grave Groomers, Spirit Lake, IA, spoke and in April, Mike Kirchmeier from Jackson County Historical Museum spoke about genealogy. Newman offered to help train the members on the cleaning process, and Kirchmeier suggested taking photos and documenting the headstones as well. He welcomed any help our club could provide in updating cemetery records for the rural cemeteries especially. Jen Schoenfeld, Jackson County 4-H Coordinator visited with the club about citizenship and and possible projects. Newman returned in May to give the training on how to clean the stones. Lots of water, rubber gloves, toothbrushes , popsicle sticks and Neustone (earth-friendly, bio-degradable chemical) were used to clean the stones. The club set two dates for groups to come and work on gravestone cleaning. The club started with the St. Paul Lutherans Rost Cemetery as they were celebrating their 125th Anniversary in June. Over those two days more than 40 tombstones were cleaned over six hours by 25 members and their families. Additional members and families cleaned other stones later.