Multiplying the good

By Michelle Stumbo, 4-H Extension 4-H Educator & County Director
POMEROY – In today’s news, good news items are often considered few & far between. In Meigs County 4-H, we strive to change that by equipping youth to become successful, contributing members of society. Young people are not the only ones affected by this program though. The community should be affected by service learning projects led by the youth involved, and their adult volunteers often get as much out of the program as the youth do.

Volunteering is not for everyone, but for those who do it, reaching into the worlds of young people can by life changing in its own way. For one Meigs County 4-H Volunteer, being a Club Volunteer is just the start. Elizabeth Lawrence, Advisor of the Bleedin’ Green 4-H Club, also volunteers her time to help other counties as a project area judge and will be serving as a State Fair project judge this year. She is also the best Camp Nurse around with an uncanny ability to make home-sick kids feel engaged and involved in Camp and serves as the Camp Nurse for Ohio 4-H Special Needs Camp at Canter’s Cave 4-H Camp in Jackson, Ohio. When asked why she keeps coming back, she stated, “I started camping first as a Girl Scout, and later as a 4-H kid. Those camping experiences were some of the best times of my life and taught me life skills that I still use in my everyday life. Getting my things ready to go to camp still excites me today 35 years later. I have been a camp nurse for over 10 years for at least one week a summer and I often take my vacation to volunteer for 4-H. Being around our youth and future leaders gives me hope for a better tomorrow and frankly, they make me feel like a kid again.”

A release from Gil G. Santiago, Unit Manager, stated, “The DuPont Volunteer Recognition program is a formal way for our Corporation to recognize our employees’ commitment to our communities. DuPont employees at the Washington Works site have a long history of involvement in the communities of the Mid-Ohio Valley and our communities have long recognized the impact that DuPont volunteers make with their service commitment. Our employees are contributors not only at work but in the community as volunteers. It is appropriate and timely that such commitment to our communities is recognized as part of DuPont’s core values of caring for society in general and for our communities specifically.” Each year, several organizations that employees volunteer with are chosen to receive $1,000 Volunteer Recognition Award. In 2016, Meigs County 4-H is a proud recipient of this support. This money will be used to support the Ohio 4-H Special Needs Camp along with the local 4-H program, provide support for Camp Counselor training and purchase supplies for working with local school programs.

Ohio 4-H is the youth development program of Ohio State University Extension, with more than 285,000 young Ohioans participating in 4-H clubs, groups and special interest programs. If your employer offers similar programs that you would like to take advantage of, or for more information about the 4-H program in Meigs County, please contact Michelle Stumbo, 4-H Extension Educator, at 740-992-6696 or [email protected].