The Carroll County 4-H Council made a huge impact on the lives of local families in need this holiday season. This inspiring mission was accomplished with the help of the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation’s Ignite the Spirit program that’s offered alongside Operation Christmas Meal to fight food insecurity in Iowa.
“We reached out to several local entities for this project to see what our community would benefit the most from. We wanted to reach as many people as we could,” said Kelsey Wiese, the County Youth Coordinator for Carroll County ISU Extension and Outreach.
The County Council, a committee made up of high school 4-H members from Carroll County, partnered with their local food pantry, Community of Concern Iowa, to make this project a reality.
“The food pantry was very happy with our offer and was overjoyed with the thought of pork loins for their freezers,” Wiese explained. “They were in great need for more protein and meat at their food pantry and were elated to receive the donation.”
In addition to donating the pork loins, the 4-H members also decided to donate the $250 from the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation to serve as an emergency fund for the pantry and keep making an impact on those in need, even after the holiday season wraps up. This way, the pantry will have access to the funds necessary to provide direct services to those who need them most.
The Carroll County 4-H Council is one of almost 50 student-based organizations that applied for the Ignite the Spirit program offered by Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation.
Way to go Carroll County 4-H Council! #IgniteTheSpirit
