HOW TO HELPTraining for volunteers in Bradley County 4-H will be in September. For more information, call 728-7001 or e-mail LMiddle2utk.edu by Aug. 27.
Hundreds of children in Bradley County are interested in joining 4-H Club, but there aren’t enough volunteers to serve them.
“We’re looking for people to lead community groups,” said Lynne Middleton, 4-H Youth Development UT Extension agent in Bradley County. “They would work with youth who might not have 4-H in their school.”
Her goal is to have at least 50 people volunteer to be 4-H leaders by the end of the month, Middleton said.
Volunteers should be at least 21, willing to commit about four hours a month to 4-H and able to pass a criminal background check, she said. Beyond that, the club will train anyone willing.
Four-H volunteers coordinate programs, conduct club meetings and work with youth to teach them life skills such as changing a flat tire, cooking and sewing.
“We don’t have sewing in the school system, so a lot of youth don’t know,” Middleton said. “It’s a skill that’s going to fall by the wayside if we don’t do something about it, and cooking is another. Many kids just use the microwave.”
Life skills also include communication and citizenship, Middleton said.
About 6 million young people are members of 4-H throughout the nation. About 3,000 school-age children are members in Bradley County, according to the 4-h.org website.
When Congress created the Cooperative Extension Service at USDA in 1914, it included boys’ and girls’ club work. These soon became known as 4-H clubs. Four-H stands for head, heart, hands and health.
4-H volunteer Shannon Kelley said students at a Bradley County Elementary School are taught how to make smoothies and how to can vegetables.
And Kelley’s daughter, 14-year-old Jennings, has raised chickens for five years for the 4-H auction.
Katherine Ervin said teaching young people how to care for animals teaches them responsibility.
“They’re learning to put someone else’s needs first, and they’re gleaning that it’s not always fun to have a dog or rabbit or a child. It’s rewarding, but it’s hard work,” she said.