2023

Conecuh County 4-H, HIPPY and PAT Enrichment Programs

· December 11, 2023 ·

The first project proposed is for HIPPY/PAT Group Meeting supplies. These are family events sponsored by HIPPY Conecuh and Parents as Teachers Conecuh for every enrolled family every six weeks. Therefore, we will host six group meetings and an End of the Year Program. These events are held to help bring the families together to educate them further on topics such as Money Management, Behavior Studies, and developing literacy in the home. A meal and a program are provided to the families. Adult programs are held for the parents and there are separate activities for the children. Each event is given a special theme. This funding will help provide decorations, props, books, and a small care package for each family attending. In the past three years, our HIPPY group meeting attendance has increased from an average of 12 in 2017 to 75 plus currently. With the addition of the Parents as Teachers Program, we are expecting even more families to attend. The amount in funding we have requested will help to provide these families with programs that they would not be able to experience without HIPPY Conecuh and Parents as Teachers.

The second project is for the Conecuh County 4-H Program. We would like to offer little/no cost summer day camps to our youth. These day camps are a highlight in Conecuh County. Unfortunately, at this time, there are no other summer camp programs offered in Conecuh. Therefore, day camp numbers each week exceed 60 youth. Activities consist of S.T.E.M. (Robotics, Virtual Reality, Drones, Ozobots), JMG, Archery, Cooking, Sewing, Art, Copper Tooling, Basket Weaving, Dog Training, Painting, Sign Language, Self-Defense, Entrepreneurship, etc. These are topics that our youth are not typically exposed to, and we are excited to be able to provide outreach in these areas. Each day we feed the youth one snack and lunch. We will need to purchase materials for these day camps/enrichment programs as well as snacks for the youth and adult volunteers.

Choctaw County Chamber of Commerce Junior Ambassador program

· December 11, 2023 ·

My organization works with businesses, local officials, schools, and other organizations to provide resources for economic growth, development of the local workforce, and promotion of countywide events that draw visitors to our county. Part of those efforts include leading our local young people to more community involvement and the development of skills that will not only help them in their future search for employment, but also grow a more skilled and motivated local workforce and give our younger generation a greater appreciation for their community. One of the problems that we have noted among our young people is the lack of knowledge of their county history, the need to develop better skills to deal with the public, and the lack of confidence when dealing with residents of all ages. The need to address these issues led my organization to form the Junior Ambassador Program.

Grant funds were used to provide scholarship opportunities for local high school seniors who display a commitment to community service. This year, we included the requirement that the applicants submit essays describing how growing up in their home county has affected their childhood and how they felt that it would impact their future. By doing so, we hoped to give them the opportunity to evaluate and express the value that they see as the product of a rural county in the Black Belt region of Alabama. This year, we selected six students, including one from each of our four high schools, as well as two at-large selections. The four students selected to represent their high schools each received $1,000 scholarships, while the two chosen at-large each received $500 scholarships. Those selected as Junior Ambassadors took part in a list of Chamber-sponsored events, acting as assistants, hosts, and hostesses to greet and interact with the public. The students took part in the following events our annual Choctaw County Hall of Fame Banquet, acting as servers to provide meals for attendees. The event took place at the The Warehouse Industrial Event Venue in Butler and included more than 75 attendees, including the families of six individuals who were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.The Junior Ambassadors participated in the Chamber’s annual Pancake Supper at the Butler Civic Center, taking part in cooking and serving meals for local business owners and employees and acting as greeters for the public. The event drew about 35 attendees. The Ambassadors also assisted with activities at the Chamber office in Butler, helping to renovate and organize areas within the department.

Mobile Pantry Program

· December 11, 2023 ·

Mobile Pantries are a truck load of various items that are taken to areas in our four county service area and distributed to those that are in need. Although we can not specifically and individually verify any individual’s financial status, we are able to identify and target the communities showing the greatest needs.

Playground

· December 11, 2023 ·

The project funding provided our pre k program at Breakthrough Charter School to have a storage facility for the outdoor/indoor fine motor and gross motor play equipment. Things such as life size exploration blocks, tricycles, little tikes cars, balls, ropes, and other misc items will be stored in this facility.

Without the storage facility, our play materials would be open to the variety of weather elements as well as the possibility of them not being secure from theft. As the teacher of a pre k classroom, I can say that we are very grateful to have this storage facility and have it in close proximity of our playground.

Operation Grow – Hardware & Equipment Loan Project (OG-HELP Initiative)

· December 11, 2023 ·

Operation Grow provides special emphasis on the training needs of military veterans interested in any sector of agriculture to promote self-employment and mental health. This project supports grassroots educational and networking efforts that are inclusive of all veterans and their families with universal access to information and resources. The Equipment Loan Program aspect of Operation Grow focuses on purchasing equipment (listed in the budget) that is critical to beginning veteran farmers to be used for hands-on training and loaning out for actual farming. We will develop standardized loan protocols and equipment brochures to make it easy for veterans to loan. Use, and maintain the farm equipment. We will acknowledge RCD funding to raise awareness about the project. In cooperation with the County Extension Coordinators and Regional Extension Agents in Chilton and Perry Counties. We anticipate parking the equipment at the Chilton Research and Extension Center (CREC) with direct supervision by David Lawrence and Matthew Price (CREC Director).