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Teen project has ripple effect helping Kansans, earns award
Kansas
It's true. One person can make a difference.
Johnson County 4-H member, Allyssa King, has earned one of 10 Kohl's Kids Who Care community service awards. The national award includes a $5,000 college scholarship and an opportunity to donate $1,000 to the award winner's favorite charity, the De Soto Multi-Service Center.
The award was sponsored by Kohl's Department Stores.
King earned a regional award and $1,000 scholarship prior to the national award.
Al Davis, K-State Research and Extension 4-H youth development agent in Johnson County, nominated her for the honor.
Davis organized a 4-H trip to assist with flood cleanup and recovery in Easton in 2001. The experience made a lasting impression on King.
"We had an opportunity to see first-hand what we as young adults could do to help. Our efforts mattered--people were so appreciative," said King, who started thinking about De Soto, the community in which she lives.
About the same time, 4-H started promoting a national garden writers' program, Plant a Row for the Hungry, which encourages growing and donating garden produce to supplement staples at local food pantries and soup kitchens. King matched the project with local needs at the food pantry at the De Soto Multi-Service Center, and encouraged 4-H Ambassadors elsewhere in the county to develop similar programs.
"Her efforts have had a ripple effect in our community and others," said Jodi Hitchcock, community social services manager at the center. "To date, more than 1,000 pounds of garden produce has been donated to our center."
"Allyssa is enthusiastic about the opportunities. She recently made a presentation about the program to the local Rotary Club and, as a result, five more volunteers have started donating fresh garden produce to the center," Hitchcock said. "One of them walked in with an armload of broccoli."
"The program is proving popular with those in the community. One recipient of the fresh fruits and vegetables is canning again to make sure that she'll have the advantage of the produce this winter," she said.
King, who will use the scholarship funds to begin study on a degree in mass communications at Baker University this fall, is modest about the success of her efforts.
She doesn't plan to give up community service.
"It feels good to be able to help," she said.
More information on Johnson County 4-H and community service programs is available from the K-State Research and Extension office at 913-764-6300. Information about local 4-H programs in other counties is available at county K-State Research and Extension offices and on the Kansas 4-H website www.oznet.ksu.edu/4h/.
Date: 9/23/04
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