COLUMN: Encouragement Cards for Seniors

4-H has a lot to offer and is a really fun experience, but there are still some requirements all members must meet by the end of the year. These include attending at least 70 per cent of club business meetings and projects, participating in public speaking, completing a record book, doing a community service activity and participating in achievement day at the end of the year.

This year, because of COVID-19, the community service activity looked very different than in the past because COVID-19 restrictions have limited any in-person activities. In previous years, our club has helped out at the Salvation Army but this activity was not possible during the pandemic.

We needed to find a new community service activity that was more COVID-friendly.

The community service committee, composed of members and two leaders, brainstormed ideas until they found something perfect for this unpredictable year.

The club voted on the idea and agreed that members would each make 15 encouragement cards that would be delivered to senior residences. Each card had some type of thoughtful message written inside, some information about 4-H, and some members chose to put a joke inside too.

By the deadline for drop-off, we had approximately 285 cards to give out. The cards were delivered to three different senior homes and one member even received a thank you card back, for the kind gesture!

The members of Prairie Winds 4-H Club all hope that the cards put a smile on the seniors' faces and that the notes of encouragement help them get through COVID-19 knowing that we are thinking of them.

Joel Nielsen is the club reporter for the Prairie Winds 4-H Club.