The Clarke County 4-H Program is seeking to enhance the life skills and opportunities for youth of Clarke County. By providing hands-on educational programs, youth can attain life skills and become productive citizens by participating in “hands-on” educational activities and events. The Clarke County 4-H Program also seeks to help our youth to better citizens by teaching them leadership and life skills and to give back or contribute to their community. This year, Clarke County 4-H sought funds to be able to purchase supplies and provide opportunities for educational programs. Due to Covid this year, Clarke County youth were not able to attend face-to-face meetings. Hurricane Zeta also destroyed the new archery shed completely. We were able to use the funds to purchase a new archery shed to replace the one destroyed by the hurricane and be able to get ready to offer the archery program to local youth.
2021
Pave parking lot
Pave the parking lots in front of the Safe Room and Senior building at the Town of McIntosh.
FAWN (Forestry Awareness Week Now)
FAWN is an educational program directed at young minds to increase their understanding of forestry and the use of forests and woodlands.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions we were unable to have the FAWN field trip days in 2021. We did though hand out FAWN drawstring bags with information that would have originally been given at the FAWN field days to all 6th and 7th graders at the 5 schools in our county. The reason the 7th graders were included in this years program was they didn’t receive anything last year.
Within the bags were Web Soil Surveys, Snake identification & fact sheet, Tree cookie information and activity as well as an actual tree cookie, seeded paper in an envelope with instructions to be planted at home, FAWN plastic cup, Alabama Farm facts pamphlet, Food and farm facts pamphlet, Farming feeds Alabama plastic bracelets, Pollinator pamphlet, Today’s wildlife identification guide, Eastern Indigo Snake pamphlet, Smokey’s Friends plastic bracelet, Smokey’s friends pencils and erasers. Please see attached picture of bag and contents.
The educational projects taken into the Washington County schools are to educate students of all ages on conservation. Over the years many projects have been created to reach students of all ages. As with the FAWN program there is a hope that these projects will ignite a spark in our younger generation to pursue a career in conservation and forestry.
Wilcox County Community Guide
The Community Guide is a publication meant to showcase area tourist and cultural attractions, municipalities, lodging and businesses in Wilcox County. Copies of the completed publication will be available at local hotels, camp sites, business, and at festivals throughout the county. Full color photographs with accompanying copy will highlight the best of Wilcox County. The Guide is intended to promote tourism and relocation to Wilcox County as well as promote local businesses.
Fork Lift Project
In Communities across the country, the lines at food pantries are stretching longer and longer with no end in site. According to The Food, Research and Action Center, 1 in 4 households experienced food insecurity in 2019. Even before the pandemic hit, 10.5% of all U.S. households experienced food insecurity. That equates to more than 35 million Americans uncertain of where their next meal might come from. In post pandemic economic crisis, this number has tripled to 29.5%. Son Light Center feeds more than 5000 families each month through food distributions throughout the Blackbelt area. Son Light Center operates a food pantry located at 497 Oak Street, Selma, AL but distributes food to 28 churches and non-profit groups throughout the Blackbelt.
We are so appreciative to AL-TOM RC & D Resource Conservation & Development Council for the donation of $7500.00 grant to purchase a much needed forklift. The purchase of this forklift enables Son Light Center to be more efficient by loading and unloading food trucks faster for deliver to communities across the Blackbelt. The completion of this purchase means that there will be fewer families going to bed tonight hungry.