Kansas 4-H Gears Up for Weekend of Community Service

Kansas 4-H will celebrate its long-standing commitment to community service when members across the state participate in 48 Hours of 4-H, Oct. 8-9.

Beth Hinshaw, a regional 4-H youth development specialist, said the ninth annual event wraps up National 4-H Week in the United States.

"In our (4-H) pledge, we say we commit our hands to larger service to my club, community, country and world," Hinshaw said. "48 Hours of 4-H helps fulfill the pledge that 4-H members make every time they meet together."

48 Hours of 4-H is a project that encourages clubs in the state to plan a community service project. "It's not a 48 hour project," Hinshaw said, "but rather a project that you do sometime during that 48 hour timeframe."

"We want the service to be meaningful and we want it to make a difference in their community," she added. "This gives young people an opportunity to look at what is needed in their community."

In the past, Hinshaw said, groups have been very creative in how they have chosen to help their community, including such things as:

• Beautification of the community, such as painting equipment in parks, planting flower bulbs, picking up trash and trimming landscapes.
• Collections, such as non-perishable foods and laundry supplies.
• Special events.
• Serving meals.
• Visiting nursing homes.

"They've found something to do that will make a difference in the community where they live," Hinshaw said. "Some groups have long-time partners who they work with; for example, one local unit helps with a Halloween Walk every year. But there are a lot of new projects, also."

In addition to asking local media to cover their project, Hinshaw urges Kansas 4-H clubs to post pictures to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag, #484H.

More information about 48 Hours of 4-H and how to register a project is at https://bit.ly/3ecKsJs.

Hinshaw also noted that the new 4-H year begins Oct. 1, noting that 48 Hours of 4-H is often an opportunity for those considering membership to see what 4-H is all about. More information about 4-H, including how to get involved, is available online, and from local extension offices in Kansas.