Sherry Anderson once said, “Volunteers don’t get paid because they are worthless, they are priceless.” One of the most valuable gifts you can give is your time, talent, and knowledge. On any given day, 4-H volunteers are doing just that because they care about their communities. This week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we want to thank the 800+ adults who volunteer with 4-H in the panhandle of Florida. Last year, they reached more than 13,000 school-age youth- which was a challenge given the global pandemic. Volunteers in the panhandle donated more than 12,000 hours of service, which is valued at more than $300,000!
It’s easy to talk about the impact of volunteers in numbers, but the real impact is the investment they make in young people. The 4-H program focuses on training volunteers to build the right environment for youth to thrive. This includes adhering to the eight principles of quality youth programming, facilitating sparks, and developing caring relationships. This setting provides a rich context for youth to grow socially and emotionally. This is not an easy task, and that is what makes our volunteers so special. They are willing to work hard to see youth success in work and life. Read more about the 4-H Thrive Model.
Over the past few years, we have shared dozens of stories about our volunteers and the impact they have on communities and youth. These stories are linked below for your inspiration and to show our appreciation! Also check out our playlist on YouTube for more about how our volunteers are making a difference!
Anne Peterson, recipient of the 2019 Elaine Keir Memorial Outstanding Volunteer Award.
For over 40 years, Anne Peterson has served as a volunteer for Escambia County 4-H. Anne began at an early age taking riding lessons in a barn led by a local 4-H horse club leader. That barn was where she began to adopt the knowledge and culture she would strive to emulate for the remainder of her 4-H volunteer career. Anne’s early years largely impacted her path in life, and ultimately led her to volunteer with 4-H.
Many Roles
Anne began volunteering with a club as a young adult, and from there. pursued every opportunity to continue her service. From volunteering at county events to volunteering at sleep over camps like Camp Timpoochee during the summer, she took the opportunities she believed in most and supported them whole-heartedly. Anne has served on multiple committees and boards at the local, district, and state levels with the goal of sharing her experiences and looking for ways to make the 4-H program stronger and better. From the horse program to the legislative program, Anne has participated in the planning and execution of county, district and state wide events. Ms. Anne even volunteers on the Area North 4-H Horse Show Committee and State 4-H Horse Advisory Committees, even though she does not have any youth who compete in the events.
A Legacy
Anne has not only invested years of volunteer service in 4-H, but she also shares with others her dedication and passion for 4-H and youth development, which continues to inspire the youth and families she works with. Anne’s impact has been felt in the projects she has taken on, but her ever-steady impact on the individuals she encounters, reaches far beyond what is immediately observable. Anne has never strayed far from her passion that was sparked in that barn, and as she continues to serve others, she is leaving her fingerprints
on their lives as well as the 4-H program. Anne has also received multiple awards for her service over the years, some of which include the 2019 Florida 4-H Horse Program Elaine Keir Memorial Outstanding Volunteer Award, and an induction to the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame.
A Lesson for Us All
While Anne has demonstrated an astounding longevity in her volunteer career, we must remember that she too was once a new volunteer. We all serve a role, however little or large we perceive the role to be, every role is important as that is the only way we can continue to offer quality programs. The saying “it takes a village” holds true to 4-H programming. To be an extraordinary 4-H volunteer, one need not do every role, but do one role to the best of their ability, as it is through the team of volunteers and agents that an extraordinary and impactful program is created. One role builds to other roles, and it is left to you to decide what role you will take. Regardless of the role, you have the chance to positively impact youth in your community, so ask your county 4-H agent how you can help “make the best better.”
To learn more about volunteering with Florida 4-H, contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office to learn about 4-H in your county.
Sara Brake has been a Santa Rosa County 4-H volunteer for over ten years. She remembers her first experience with 4-H as an eight-year-old, stating, “My mom was a fourth-grade teacher who helped organize the Tropicana Public Speaking program at Jay Elementary. My first 4-H experience was in the summer of 1990 at a summer education program held at the Jay Civic Center; we learned about solar energy.” All of her energy goes toward the youth in the 4-H program now.
Sara is passionate about summer camp and camping at Camp Timpoochee in Niceville. She explains, “Camp meant a lot to my family and to me as my grandfather had gone to Camp Timpoochee in the 1930s, and my mom went to Timpoochee in the 1960s.”
She also remembers, “4-H Legislature was my first summer program as a Senior 4-Her.” She devotes much of her time to planning the state-wide event that teaches youth civics in a week-long, hands-on atmosphere in Tallahassee, Florida, each summer. When asked about her dedication of so much time to 4-H Legislature, she replied, “My favorite thing about Legislature as a volunteer is seeing how excited youth get when a bill they are passionate about goes the way they want.”
Sara Brake gives so much back to the 4-H program because 4-H gave so much to her. She said, “My 4-H experiences helped me become the person I am. I know there are parents today who cannot take time to take youth to events and programs. I have the flexibility to give time. Helping youth have access to programs that meant so much to me when I was a youth is what keeps me volunteering.”
Santa Rosa County 4-H and youth from across the state of Florida, thank you, Sara Brake, for all of your hard work and dedication to our youth.
Missy Briggs, volunteer, helps lead a discussion during Leadership Club
At the beginning of the 4-H year, the Leon County Leadership Club was in need of two new club leaders. Sheeja George and Missy Briggs both stepped up to fulfill the role of club leaders and Leon County 4-H is lucky to have them! Sheeja is an Agricultural Scientist at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. Missy is a Senior Performance Consultant with Capital City Bank in Tallahassee. They both have exceeded expectations and are everything you’d hope for in a 4-H Volunteer. You would never guess this is their first year leading a club!
When asked why she chose to volunteer with 4-H Sheeja expressed, “I feel strongly about using my time and any talent or resources that I have for things beyond self and family. Over the years this is a commitment we have shared as a family. That’s what keeps me motivated to volunteer in general.” Missy shared, “I enjoy volunteering with the 4-H Leadership Club because I am encouraged by the drive, teamwork, empathy, and respect the youth show for themselves, for each other, their community, and their world.”
Volunteer, Sheeja, stands with Allison, 4-H Agent, and Bobby, guest
Leadership Club took on a major project this year with the guidance of Sheeja and Missy. This project was the Leon County 4-H Olympics. At the first club meeting, the members decided they wanted to host a brand-new event called the 4-H Olympics. Sheeja and Missy embraced the idea and successfully guided the members through the planning process. Each member had a specific role and all major decisions were the result of a group vote. During the “411 Teen Talk” radio show on WFSU, club member Stephen Hayes stated the most important thing he has learned from Leadership Club this year is how to work with people who have different ideas. Sheeja and Missy made sure that each club member had a voice in the planning process and during the day of the event. In an effort to raise money for the 4-H Olympics, Sheeja spent an entire Saturday with a few club members hosting a bake sale at the Leon County 4-H/Tropicana Speech Contest. The two club leaders were able to secure a guest motivational speaker during the event, which made the day even more special.
Club members after the 4-H Olympics
The first Leon County 4-H Olympics was a success and that could not have been accomplished without the two wonderful volunteer club leaders, Sheeja and Missy. They exemplify what it means to be a 4-H volunteer by growing true leaders in their community. Sheeja expressed “I thought the 4-H club would be a great avenue to work with youth and impact their lives in whatever little way I can in areas of life that will be important to them as they become young adults. This includes leadership, public speaking, being collaborative and team-players.”
Leon County 4-H is looking forward to see where Sheeja and Missy take Leadership Club next year!
To all of the volunteers in the district, thank you for all you do. Learn more about volunteering with Florida 4-H or contact your local UF/IFAS Extension to learn about 4-H in your county.
People choose to volunteer for a multitude of reasons. In the case of Wakulla County 4-H volunteer Greg James, there seem to be few reasons why he wouldn’t want to volunteer to meet a need in his community – especially if it helps youth.
Why Greg Volunteers
“Volunteering in my community is very important to me. I believe serving your community in some fashion helps create a sense of pride, belonging and ownership. I think it’s important to provide our children a positive environment in which to grow. Volunteering for 4-H allows me to foster that environment.”
Greg James joined a 4-H Club member to promote an upcoming community event.
Thirty Years of Investment
While Greg (and his wife of close to 30 years, Karen) live in Sopchoppy, there are few areas of the county where Greg’s volunteerism has not had an impact. While Greg and Karen’s children have grown up and left the county to pursue college and careers, involvement with area youth has remained a constant in his life since moving to the county in 1995.
In his professional life, Greg wears two hats – he serves as the Wakulla County Finance Director and the Deputy Clerk of Court. Some community members may know him best as the minister of the Sopchoppy Church of Christ.
On almost any given day, Greg can found serving his community – as a volunteer cross country coach, stirring a pot at a Low Country Boil charity event, cleaning up the coastline or lending time to a local civic committee. For the last two years, Greg has served in a leadership role with the Wakulla County 4-H and Extension Advisory Councils, and he started a 4-H Finance Club last summer to help local teens learn financial management skills.
Hands On Leadership
Greg observes a 4-H Poultry Club member demonstrate chicken handling at a community event.
In service to 4-H, Greg give his financial expertise and his hands – figuratively and literally. To celebrate the success of the 4-H Chicken Champs Club, he made people-sized chicken figures that have become a popular photo opportunity at 4-H events. His most recent undertaking is still in progress – refurbishing old metal bleachers by hand for the 4-H Archery Club range.
Sali Polotov, a Future Leaders Exchange Program student from Tajikistan, is a member of the 4-H Finance Club and shared his thoughts on learning with Greg as club leader. “He is a great leader and speaker. Every time I go to Finance Club, I explore something new. He explains difficult things so easily. Also, he has a great collection of foreign coins!
Greg wasn’t introduced to 4-H until his own children were growing up and completed swine projects. “Now that I know all of the great programs 4-H offers, I wish I had been more involved.”
As a volunteer leader, Greg also works to recruit more volunteers to help grow 4-H programs. His advice to anyone who thinks they might want to volunteer is simple – “Don’t wait!”
Make a Difference with 4-H – Volunteer
Greg said, “I would ask that (people) stop thinking about it and just do it! Our 4-H program depends heavily on volunteers, and what we are able to accomplish is only limited by the number and caliber of our volunteers. Please volunteer and make a positive impact on your community and our kids!”
For more information on how to become a 4-H volunteer in your community, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office. To see how 4-H is positively impacting the lives of Panhandle youth, follow us on Facebook.
Greg James prepares to swear in new 4-H Association leaders for 2019.
Sherry Anderson once said, “Volunteers don’t get paid because they are worthless, they are priceless.” One of the most valuable gifts you can give is your time, talent, and knowledge. On any given day, 4-H volunteers are doing just that because they care about their communities. This week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we want to thank the 800+ adults who volunteer with 4-H in the panhandle of Florida. Last year, they reached more than 13,000 school-age youth- which was a challenge given the global pandemic. Volunteers in the panhandle donated more than 12,000 hours of service, which is valued at more than $300,000!
