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Get the latest 4-H news at www.4husa.org. Updated daily by 4-H youth, all your latest 4-H news is just one click away. We will continue to keep posting stories to Clover Corner News as you send them in to clovercornernews@fourhcouncil.edu, but make sure to check out your state's news and contacts. Of course you want to get registered on 4HUSA.ORG for all the benefits including blogs, a 4husa.org email alias, photo libraries, and more!

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AllBrands.com: Donating to the Future

John and Annette Douthat love 4-H.

These generous Louisiana natives are quite familiar with the 4-H community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills as they have been donating sewing machines to Louisiana State University Cooperative Extension Service 4-H agents through their business, AllBrands.com, for 25 years. Each year, the winners of 4-H sewing contests and fashion revues at LSU receive sewing machines as their prizes, encouraging development of what John Douthat describes as lifetime skills.

This year, however, the Douthat's benevolence went national.

The Douthats, owners of one of the leading Internet retailers of all brands of sewing machines, vacuums and appliances, contacted National 4-H Council with an offer to donate and distribute 750 serviced Brother sewing machines valued at more than $100,000 to 4-H programs across the country entirely free of charge.

We like the fact that 4-H is committed to teaching lifetime skills, whether it is sewing or anything else, and that they give awards recognition on all levels county, state, national to the youngster. We have never been involved on the national level. This is our way of showing the industry that they should support 4-H, which is doing a better job than any other organization in the country in teaching kids to sew, John Douthat said.

John Douthat admires 4-H's impact on individual youth. My wife and I have judged the casual garment contest, and the youth get very excited about their own creations. It gives them a personal identity of themselves and something different than they see on the street. We like that 4-H gives them that opportunity, he said.

John, a former Florida State FFA officer, drew his passion for 4-H from his wife, Annette, and cousin, Mary Ann Crawford. Mary has been involved in 4-H throughout her life, and, today, she teaches 4-Hers to sew in her home. Annette is a former 4-Her who was very involved in leadership roles and sewing projects.

John Douthat said he has witnessed the positive effects of 4-H firsthand, and he believes the future of the sewing industry depends on 4-H. He said he hopes other suppliers will follow his lead. [4-H is] into urban as well as rural areas, and we think that the future of the sewing industry depends on how good of a job 4-H agents and volunteers do in giving these youngsters successful experiences in sewing, he said.

Applications for the sewing machines are closed. Recipients will be notified after January 18, 2005.

Click here to visit the All Brands website.


Allbrands.com owners Annette Douthat, John Douthat and Louisiana 4-H members (from left to right) Lauren Tanner, Deanna Jason, Dawn Jason, Makayla Labranche, and Joy Jason get excited about donating 750 sewing machines to 4-H.

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LSU AgCenter, New Orleans Hornets Help Families Brighten Their Holidays

(Lake Providence, LA) Christmas will be brighter for some East Carroll Parish residents thanks to the LSU AgCenter and the New Orleans Hornets basketball team.

In a cooperative effort, the team brought $15,000 in toys to Lake Providence on Dec. 16, 2004. The toys were targeted toward making Christmas a little more economical for the families involved in the LSU AgCenter's 4-H youth development program as well as supporting the program.

Priced far below retail value, the toys were sold to the parents of East Carroll Parish 4-Hers at a discounted price. In turn, money raised from the event went to the East Carroll Parish 4-H Foundation.

"I did find some things that are on my children's list," said Alice Willis, a mother of five. "The items were a lot cheaper than I could buy them at the store. Also, I work full-time and don't have much time to shop. There aren't many stores in Lake Providence to shop at, so this really helps."

This area of Northeast Louisiana is one of the poorest in the state and the nation. The LSU AgCenter is working on a variety of projects designed to help spur economic development and improve living conditions for those in the area.

Suzanne Werdann, vice president of community relations for the Hornets, said "4-H is a great partner of ours" and that the toy sale was just one way to give back to this community.

Each year, the Hornets host a 4-H Night with The Hornets. 4-Hers from all over the state go to a Hornets game in New Orleans and participate in activities ranging from appearances on court to serving as entertainers. The 2005 celebration will be held on Feb. 11.

"East Carroll Parish always brings more kids to our games than any other parish," Werdann said. "They are great supporters of ours, and this (toy sale) is just one way to give back to them. And we're giving all money raised to the East Carroll Parish 4-H Foundation, so the money is staying right here."

A total of $4,000 was raised from the sale. Krishanda Mayers, an LSU AgCenter 4-H agent in East Carroll Parish, said the money will be used to help send 4-Hers from her parish to 4-H Camp and 4-H University (formerly 4-H Short Course), as well as to help pay for costs associated with other activities in which the 4-H'ers participate.

"A lot of our 4-Hers don't have a lot of money to do things with," Mayers said. "This (money) will help a lot."

Terril Faul, head of 4-H Youth Development for the LSU AgCenter, agrees. "This gives parents an opportunity to be able to buy something to give their kids at Christmas. To think that the Hornets picked this group out of every one in the state to help is pretty special."

The toy sale is part of the Hornets 12 Days of Giving. In addition to the East Carroll Parish toy sale, the team took part in other events around the state throughout the Christmas season, Werdann said.


Adult volunteers in East Carroll Parish 4-H wraps presents for their 4-H children.

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Idaho 4-Her's Help Endangered Horses
Submitted by Susan Dudasik, Salmon Model Horse 4-H Club Leader

(Salmon, ID) - As part of their international community service project, members of the Salmon Model Horse 4-H Club in Idaho have been raising awareness of the plight of twelve endangered Abaco Barb wild horses on Abaco Island in the Bahamas. The horses are believed to be descendents of horses brought over by the Spanish Conquistadors during Columbus time. Recently, the horses were designated by the Horse of the America's Registry as the Abaco Barb, a new strain of the Spanish Barb. They are perhaps the purest strain in existence and are in imminent danger of extinction.

Club members contacted Milanne Rehor, the Project Director for Wild Horses of Abaco Preservation Society, WHOA, who suggested they join others by writing letters to Bahamian Prime Minister, Perry Christie asking for his support of a preserve. When that became a reality, they raised $100 to help purchase fencing supplies.

Next, the four club members wrote to the Breyer Model Horse Company asking if they would consider making an Abaco Barb model. After some research, Breyer agreed to make a model of the stallion Capella and contributed a portion of all Capella sales to WHOA.

For their participation, Breyer gave each member a Capella model. Seeing the results of their efforts was exciting. When they started the Abaco Horse project, the members couldn't see how they could really help since the horses were over 3,000 miles away and they were just kids! They soon realized what could be accomplished with creativity and a willingness to give a seemingly impossible idea a chance to become a reality. And it was all because they took the time to write a few letters.

Click here for more information on the Abaco Barb horses and click here to learn more about Breyer's Capella model. Contact Diane Fisher at custer@uidaho.edu for more information on starting your own 4-H model horse club.


Photo by: SUSAN DUDASIK. Salmon Model Horse 4-H Club members, Jessica Steele, Mary Bennett and Hannah Bennett display the Capella Abaco Barb model horses they received as gifts from the Breyer Model Horse Company.

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4-Hers Collect 100 Bags of Clothes and Toys

(Sioux City, IA) Northwest Iowa 4-H members traveled to Sioux City, IA, during their Christmas vacation to deliver a collection of winter clothing and stuffed animals to the Boys & Girls Home. The 4-H members were all part of the Northwest Iowa Area 4-H Council that coordinated the community service project. Members in attendance drove up to three hours in order to participate in the day's delivery.

Marcy Hahn, principal of the Sioux City facility, addressed the 4-Hers who delivered the collection and said, This is such an incredible thing you have done for the children who live here at the Boys & Girls Home. These children usually come to us with nothing. These clothes and animals will really help them. Nearly 100 bags full of winter clothing and stuffed animals were donated for the project. 4-H members collected the items in their own counties and communities beginning last October and the project culminated with the big delivery at the Boys & Girls Home just after Christmas.

The goal of Boys & Girls Home is to provide and implement preventative programs, as well as treatment programs which enhance the functioning of the family and its individual members. Residents of the Boys & Girls Home in Sioux City are ages 6-17. Children typically stay 9-13 months in an effort to improve behavior or treat symptoms of abuse, neglect or mental illness.

The young people that are members of this Area 4-H Council are some of the best young people you'll come across in the state of Iowa. We should be very proud to have such exemplary, generous teens in our communities, said Jennifer Tabke, co-advisor for the Council. Tabke is a youth development specialist with Iowa State University Extension.

The Northwest Iowa Area 4-H Council is a group of 50 young people who are 4-H club members in their own communities. Council members hail from 14 counties in the northwest corner of Iowa and are in grades 9-12. They apply for membership and are selected in September of each year. The Area 4-H Council takes on a community service project each year as well as helps to better the Iowa 4-H program by organizing 4-H events and promoting the benefits of a 4-H experience.


Iowa 4-H members and volunteers unload bags of clothes and toys for Boys & Girls Home.

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McCracken Backpack Food For Kids Program Growing
By Laura Skillman, University of Kentucky

(Paducah, KY) Three years ago, McCracken County 4-H members decided to tackle hunger in their community by providing backpacks filled with food for youngsters at two elementary schools to take home over the weekend. Today, the program has expanded into seven schools in the county.

They came up with the idea through a mini-grant opportunity to provide backpacks for kids who are on free and reduced lunches who might not necessarily have enough to eat over the weekends. Using these backpacks, the kids are able to fill them up with nonperishable items that don't require any preparation. And since every student has a backpack the children in need are not singled out from their peers.

It has really taken off. In the three years we've been doing it we've gone from stuffing five or six backpacks a week to stuffing 40 to 45 a week, Earle said.

Children are selected for the backpack program through the school's family resource centers or guidance counselors.

One of the schools in the system has 97 percent of its students on free and reduced lunches and that school receives 20 packs but could use twice that amount, he said. Children pick up the backpacks at the family resource centers at their schools and return them there as well for refilling.

Through this coming year, the 4-H youth hope to obtain enough food, backpacks and funds through grants and donations to move into even more schools. Each year, the 4-Hers have gotten grants for the program.

The 4-H members also conduct food drives at Lone Oak High School , the most recent of which resulted in more than 5,000 food items collected in under two weeks. Church, civic organizations and individuals also donate. One person alone donated 100 backpacks.

Bruce Carter, a senior at Lone Oak High School, has worked with the program for two years. It started as something to do things with his friends, but has turned into much more. I feel like it is a good thing for our community and last week I went to pick up the extra backpacks and everybody there was so appreciative of what we were doing," he said. "It really made me feel like I was doing something for the community. I'm proud of this program. We are trying to involve some of the younger students because most of us are seniors and we want this program to continue.

Senior Liz Block saw firsthand the appreciation their efforts receive on a recent delivery of backpacks. It just makes you feel so good, she said. Then, the other day, we were filling up this huge backpack for a little girl that didn't want to take one anymore because she had too many brothers and sisters, and they fought over the food. It was such a selfless thing for a kid to say, No. I'm not going to eat, since my brothers and sisters can't eat, so we just filled up a great big one for them. It makes you feel good.

Block said she does not think they really need any recognition for what they are doing; they get it from just taking the backpacks and picking them up.

Senior Shadea Mitchell said many of the clubs at Lone Oak High conduct food drives for the 4-H backpack program, plus local churches have helped. It has been a real effort from every place that we can get help from, she said.


4-Hers in Kentucky fill backpacks for the Backpack Food for Kids Program.

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N4-HYDC Member Attends America's Promise Conference

Lisa Campion, a member of the National 4-H Youth Directions Council (N4-HYDC), recently attended the America's Promise Youth Leadership Convening in Alexandria, VA, to discuss with other youth leaders how student organizations can collectively and individually change policy, practice and resources for children and youth.

Campion found the experience extremely beneficial. America's Promise is an alliance whose strength is in its membership. All of their partner organizations are committed to reaching as many young people as possible, and those of us at the conference tried to find the most efficient but effective way possible to do this at the convening.

She said she found that there are some websites that would aid 4-H clubs and counties in their efforts in youth and adult partnerships including: youthonboard.org and ysa.org. Volunteering opportunities can also be found at servenet.org and ysa.org/planit.

Since the conference, Lisa has been working to collaborate and network between other America's Promise Partners, helping promote the five promises, working on how 4-H can help America's Promise achieve the five promises and offering 4-H as a resource to other partners.

America's Promise believes that today's children face incredible challenges. But they believe that young people can accomplish any goal or task that they decide upon. That's why they use the five promises to make these dreams a reality. The five promises are:

1. Caring Adults: Ongoing relationships with caring adults parents, mentors, tutors or coaches offer youth support, care and guidance.
2. Safe Places: Safe places with structured activities during nonschool hours provide both physical and emotional safety for youth.
3. A Healthy Start: Adequate nutrition, exercise, and health care pave the way for healthy bodies, healthy minds, and smart habits for adulthood.
4. Marketable Skills: Marketable skills through effective education help youth navigate the transition from school to work successfully.
5. Opportunities to Serve: Opportunities to give back through community service enhance self-esteem, boost confidence and heighten a sense of responsibility to the community.

For more information on America's Promise click here.


Lisa Campion (third from left) discusses strategies for partnering with America's Promise.

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Resources and Opportunities:

Garfield Costume Rental Update

Strawberry Productions, Inc. is no longer renting the Garfield costume. Milestone Events has taken over. Click here to get more information on rental costs.

The production company contact information is:
Jack Desroches
Executive Producer
Milestone Events
413-592 4184
Jack@milestoneevents.org

You can also contact Maria Cascioli, 4-H Supply Service with inquiries at 301-961-2948 or mcascioli@fourhcouncil.edu.

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Organizations Offer Materials to Help in Fundraising for Tsunami Relief

UNICEF and Do Something, two organizations with a track record of strong service-learning, have created new materials to help educate and fundraise in your classrooms and schools.

Click here for information on the UNICEF Youth Action Tsunami Relief. It includes a step-by-step guide to planning and organizing a fundraising activity, the latest news on the tsunami relief efforts, and downloadable canister wrappers for use in fundraising.

Click here for information of the Do Something Kids Tsunami Relief Fund. It provides ideas for youth-led fundraising, discussion questions, resources for parents and teachers to talk to young people about the disaster, learning activities related to water and population, and examples of youth-led projects.

Click here for continued coverage of materials available to help in the relief efforts.

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National Service-Learning Partnership Offers Resources to Make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a Day On!

The approaching Martin Luther King Day holiday is an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, while serving our communities. As Anthony Welch, author of "To Dream Again, The Continuing Challenge of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." says, "it is vitally important to utilize days like [MLK Day], when people are already thinking about service and learning in a variety of ways, to build year-long momentum for our service-learning work."

Your 4-H club can get started with these resources:

To plan service-learning projects for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day click here.

Or start by writing a letter to your editor. Now is a good time to contact your local media with a letter to the editor about the importance of service-learning in your community. The National Service Learning Partnership provides quick and easy tips and tools for writing to your local media outlets, including a sample letter that you can adapt. Click here for more information.

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Educate Parents and Youth About Internet Safety Free Resources Available

More than 25 million young people go online regularly. Unfortunately, some child predators are taking advantage of this fact by approaching youth online with the intent to meet them for a sexual encounter offline. According to the Department of Justice, 1 in 5 children is sexually solicited over the Internet.

Unfortunately, many predators know and use lingo such as CYO (See You Online) and a/s/l (Age/Sex/Location) used by youth while chatting online to become friendly with them. A national study found that less than 5% of parents are familiar with the shorthand used online by their children. This lack of knowledge leaves many parents unsure about how to talk to youth about online safety.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) partnered with the Ad Council to sponsor an ongoing national multi-media campaign called Help Delete Online Predators. The campaign includes online resources to help parents and public service advertising encouraging families to discuss Internet safety.

NCMEC invites 4-H youth development professionals and extension agents to get involved by running newsletter articles about online safety, distributing publications to parents and youth, holding workshops on internet safety (see www.netsmartz.org for activities and interactive games) or placing links to safety information on 4-H and family education websites.

Free publications about online safety for youth and parents (the first 50 publications are free, minimal fee charged for larger orders) are available from NCMEC in English and Spanish. Internet safety quizzes for youth and adults are available online in print-ready formats.

To learn about chat shorthand and to get tips for parents on how to talk to children about online threats, visit www.cybertipline.com and click on Online Acronyms or call 1-800-THE-LOST.

If you feature information about this campaign in a newsletter, conduct a workshop, or place a link on your website, please drop an email to amiller@ncmec.org so we can hear about your efforts!

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