As the final State Teen Council meeting in Jabez comes to a close the room is still filled with activity as members work their way down a table filled with soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and countless other toiletry items placing them in large zip lock bags. As a pile of personal care kits grows in the corner of the room, other members are writing cards to the children who will be receiving them. By the end of the day the State Teen Council has completed 105 personal care kits for the Danville Children’s Home.

That wasn’t the only community service the council had under their belt this year. A year long project that started in September was the making of over 300 no sew fleece pillows and 50 medium sized blankets that will be donated to the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital this spring. The amount of donated fleece was an overwhelming surprise and the council’s efforts to make that project a success were extraordinary. During the November meeting the council completed 35 Magi Boxes filled with toys, books, and personal hygiene items that were wrapped in Christmas paper and delivered to less fortunate children in Honduras through a church sponsored program in Hopkins County.

In addition to these acts of service, each meeting the State Teen Council cleans up 3.3 miles of roadway leading up to the 4-H Leadership Center in Jabez. To date they have cleaned a total of 9.9 miles and collected 28 bags of garbage!

The final community service project for this year is in progress and will be completed at the State 4-H Teen Conference in June. Each member was given a baby bottle to fill with loose change that will be donated to a single mother’s support group in Mercer County. This group of teenagers from across the state is dedicated to bettering their world and has left quite a legacy to follow in the coming years. The Officer Team would like to thank each member, their respective counties, and volunteers for the undying support of our community service goals this year that helped us make a difference in our communities.

Sabrina Hounshell
State 4-H Secretary
Fayette County