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East Texas 4-H Clubs donate thousands of community service hours Oct. 10Texas The week of Oct. 4 to 10 was National 4-H week, and to celebrate, on Oct. 10, more than 1,300 4-H members across northeast Texas did what they often do everyday: Try to make the best, better, said Derrick Bruton, Texas AgriLife Extension Service 4-H Specialist. "Serving the community is something that Texas 4-H members not only take pride in, but also typically perform on a routine basis," he said. In the statewide coordinated effort, more than 50 events were planned in East Texas for the 22 counties of AgriLife Extension District 5. Some of the efforts were a culmination of ongoing projects throughout the year, such as raising funds to buy items for U.S. troops serving abroad, as the Mt. Enterprise 4-H club did, Bruton said. Others were one-day events, such as community cleanup and beautification, or food, clothing and book drives, he said. Rain dampened many of the planned outdoor events, but even then 4-H clubs found a way to carry on. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade," said Paulette Cooper, County Extension Agent-Prairie View for 4-H in Marion County. "When life gives you rain, plant flowers." The plan was to install some much-needed playground equipment at Kelly Park, a county facility. With more than a $4,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Engaging Youth Serving the Community, Cooper was able to buy parallel bars, swing sets, play tubes, a steel climbing gym, a sandbox, and other equipment. To install the equipment, she also brought 26 80-pound bags of concrete mix and 23 40-pound bags of pea gravel, she said. The concrete was to fill 26 postholes, and Cooper had called the Marion County 4-H club and local youth leaders, including Brock Fry, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture, and Ike Ives, scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Troop 557, to action on Oct. 10. Cooper said her goal was to dig the 26 holes, mix concrete and set the anchors. Fifteen 4-H members and their leaders appeared but so did a slow, steady drizzle. Worse, the day before it had poured, and the ground was too wet to dig, but Cooper an Fry had backup plans. Cooper had brought three flats of pansies, and club members were put to planting. As high winds accompanied the rain, Fry enlisted the help of club members to pile broken limbs. The ability to adapt to changing conditions and emerging needs is what 4-H strives to teach, Bruton said. "Each county has been given the flexibility to determine how best to serve their communities," he said. "We are seeing a wide array of service projects ranging from food, toys, and clothing drives to home and park make-overs." In Smith County, Sarah Hindman, AgriLife Extension agent for 4-H and youth development, elected to help paint the inside of a house of a single mother. "She's done two tours in Iraq, been away from home a lot, and apparently was going through some really tough times," Hindman said. Armed with paint brushes, ladders and tape, Hindman, members and adult leaders of the Smith County 4-H club, painted two rooms and the hallway of the woman's house. "4-H believes in helping everyone," she said. "It doesn't matter what size; we take on all projects, big and small." Bruton said a few examples of such big and small projects in his districts included: In Bosque County, the Meridian 4-H club decorated pumpkins and delivered them to Meridian Manor Nursing Home residents. In Coryell County, the Gatesville 4-H club landscaped the Habitat for Humanity Home in Gatesville. In the afternoon, they filled care boxes for the Gatesville Care Center. In Henderson County, the East Texas Young Riders 4-H club handed out Domestic Violence Awareness ribbons and requested donations for the local Crisis Center. "With over 1,300 4-H members across Northeast Texas pledging to help Oct. 10, I think we made a difference," Bruton said.
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