Youth Believe in Community Pride

4-Hers in Pueblo know recycling up close.

Drawers, bins, boxes and bags all over Pueblo County are overflowing with coupons, pop-tops, stamps, cards, phone books, and who knows what else. If there is an organizational or community need somewhere, Dolores Vaccaro, a volunteer with Colorado State University Extension's 4-H youth development program, has found a way to match human time and energy with "recycled stuff" to support these worthy causes.

Vaccaro began her interest in volunteering years ago when her niece was first involved in 4-H. She became a 4-H project leader and guided her niece, and later, her own grandchild through the art of cooking and baking. In fact, she has "led" hundreds of kids through her kitchen of culinary learning over the last 25 years through her involvement in 4-H. She also believes a volunteer should "volunteer"--she serves as the community service leader for her 4-H club--a combined group of Livewires and Needle Beetles!

Vaccaro's longtime friend, Mary Smith, has been involved in 4-H even longer–a total of 45 years. She currently is the organizational leader for the 34 kids from age eight to 18 in the Needle Beetles/Livewires 4-H Club. In addition to meeting the organizational needs of the club, she also is their project leader in the areas of sewing, crocheting, heritage arts, "decorate your duds," child care, and ceramics--subjects she loves to teach–and she is a Extension Master Gardener. She said she got interested in 4-H volunteer work when her own kids were young.

"I enjoy working with kids, seeing them grow up," she said. "I was a pediatric nurse, and I served as a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout leader before I got involved as a 4-H leader. I think that 4-H is the best thing that kids can get into!"

An important component of 4-H that both Vaccaro and Smith think kids should "get into" is community service. Members of the Livewires/Needle Beetles 4-H Club have a longstanding tradition of balancing work on 4-H projects with involvement in "Community Pride" projects. These projects have allowed 4-Hers of all ages to become connected to a need in the community and to use their newfound skills of decision-making, record-keeping, organizing and volunteering to make an impact on that need.

Their list of ongoing community service contributions includes collecting coupons from magazines and newspapers to supplement Meals on Wheels and elderly feeding programs; saving canceled stamps for Bethel Hospital-St. Elizabeth Foundation in West Germany for mentally and physically challenged residents; putting together bags of personal items for migrant workers; collecting reusable note cards for the residents of St. Jude's Hospital in Denver; and gathering and recycling telephone books and saving tab-tops from aluminum cans for the "Tabs for Tots" program to support the Ronald McDonald House.

And on their accomplishment list: they made cookie baskets for the El Pueblo Boys and Girls Ranch; made valentines for the southern Colorado Veterans Association; provided food products for Thanksgiving baskets for local churches; gathered toys and put them in 4-H-built toy boxes for Denver's Children's Hospital; cooked for the homeless at the local Wayside Mission shelter; held bake sales and other fund-raisers to support the care of an injured red-tailed hawk at the local Raptor Center; dug, cleaned up, painted, planted and labored over a wheelchair-accessible nature trail and greenway project at the Pueblo Nature Center during Earth Day.

And there's more.

More than a year ago, the Pueblo 4-Hers began a campaign to collect new and used books for a county-wide reading program that involved local elementary schools, the library, the University of Southern Colorado, and the nearby communities of Fountain and Trinidad. Ten months later, at Halloween time, their "Make a Difference Reading Program" had collected 1700 used and new books to give to area children in kindergarten through fifth grade, and older 4-Hers were involved in reading programs all over the county, distributing the books and encouraging kids to read.

For their community efforts they have been recognized with a Chevron-sponsored Colorado Community Pride Award, a "Colgate Youth for America Campaign" award, and a "Make a Difference Day" award from the Paul Newman Foundation that added $2,000 to their most recent project. This one was spearheaded by four of the Needle Beetles and Livewires older 4-H members, who have been instrumental in providing the youth leadership and momentum for many of the clubs' community efforts.

Melanie Bruce, 17, Gwynn Coatney, 17, Jonthan Garnett, 19 and Michael Garnett, 16, all have been participants in many Community Pride projects over the years, but they found their most recent community spirit endeavor one of their larger learning experiences. They wanted their 4-H clubs to be involved in the $12-million community initiative to construct and beautify 26 acres of a river walk--Pueblo's Historic Arkansas River Project (HARP)–by providing trees, shrubs and decorative banners. This turned out to be an expensive undertaking at best–thousands of dollars were required for each mature tree in the plan, and $2500 for a flag, pole and plaque.

Undaunted, they learned grant writing–and succeeded with a National 4-H Council grant sponsored by Metropolitan Life ($1,000) and the Coors Foundation ($750)--conducted fund raisers and solicited donations from club leaders, parents, Master Gardeners, Family and Community Education members, and service clubs. Combined with a match from the Pueblo County 4-H Foundation, the group presented a $4,100 check to HARP last summer in the name of Pueblo County 4-H for one of eight large historic banners that will fly over the completed project. They also helped with planting and landscaping along the new walk.

"Seeing your results makes you want to do more," said Melanie about her participation in community projects. "In 4-H, to do your best, you give it your all."

"I got so much from 4-H and the people who worked with me that it is nice to give something back to the community," summed up Jonthan's feelings, and his brother Michael said, "Helping the community makes you feel good yourself."

"There is so much more to 4-H than animals," said Gwynn, "The things we learned through community service are hard to get out of a manual."

The leaders agree.

Vaccaro said, "Kids are part of the community and they should be aware of the less fortunate and those who need to be helped. They should be as involved as they can be in bettering their communities."

Photo Cutlines: Energetic Pueblo 4-Hers (front from left) Melanie Bruce and Gwynn Coatney, (back from left) Michael Garnett and Jonthan Garnett, have been active partners in a variety of Community Pride projects over the years.

For more information, contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.

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Uploaded Tuesday, September 25, 2007

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