Youth introduce program to first responders
4-H ambassadors will create a garden at fire department
As part of a Texas 4-H Service Project to support first responders, the Cass County Cooperative Extension’s youth ambassadors and adult advisory board members recently prepared a Great Green Salad lunch for the Atlanta Fire and Police departments.
The youths and adults met at the fire department to prepare the meal and explain their program of addressing issues of nutrition and physical fitness. The program is called “Heroes 4-Health–Youth Voice: Youth Choice Ambassadors Campaign.” The program will also involve the creation of a garden at the fire department.
The salad lunch was prepared by members of the 4-H adult advisory committee and involved an expanded use of the extension service’s food chest or kit on wheels which contains all the items needed to prepare a meal—utensils, cutting boards, hot plates, measuring cups, dish rags, gloves, sanitizers and more.
The kit is a way of bringing to the site everything needed to prepare food. For example, it allows 4-H members to participate in food challenge contests where they are given recipes and must prepare the meal using the contents of the food kit.
Bringing the food chest to show appreciation to first responders was a new way to expand its outreach, said John Ferguson, extension agent for 4-H and youth development. The kit can be taken be taken to churches and schools, or wherever there is a need to teach a better awareness of nutrition.
The location of a community outreach garden at the fire department is part of the extension office’s Atlanta Library and Hughes Springs Library Seed Exchange program now in its third year.
Another lead program for the local 4-H is its Junior Master Gardener learning opportunity. Local 4-H members recently created a garden at the Linden City Park. They are also given opportunities to travel across the state to attend programs introducing them to other 4-H members.
Several of the Atlanta firefighters said they appreciated not only the recognition but also the “good food.”
“They were educating us on everyday living, and we hope we were motivating them,” said one firefighter.
April is community service and volunteer recognition month for Texas 4-H.