Service is an important component of every 4-H experience. In Manitowoc County, the Clarks Mills Good Sports 4-H Club takes service very seriously, completing several projects every year. Cleaning up more than two miles of Manitowoc County highway and making holiday cards for for military service men and women, veterans, and their families are just a couple ways they contribute to their local and national communities:

Club: Clarks Mills Good Sports 4-H Club — Manitowoc County

Date of Activity: October 26, 2013

Number of people who worked on project: 15 youth; 5 adults

Number of hours: 2 hours per person

“Clarks Mills Good Sports 4-H Club is responsible for the cleanup of 2.5 miles of County Highway J in our local community. Our club performs roadside cleanup a minimum of two times each year of this stretch of highway.

 Adopt-A-Highway is Wisconsin’s litter control program and helps:

• Reduce litter along Wisconsin’s highways
• Build statewide support for the anti-litter and highway beautification programs
• Educate the traveling public to properly dispose of litter
• Enhance the environment and beautify Wisconsin’s roadsides

Club members learn the importance of properly disposing of litter and how litter not only de-beautifies the highways, it also pollutes our environment. Highway cleanup improves club members knowledge of how to protect our environment and keep our roadways looking nice by simple actions that they can be a part of. Club members also learn safety when working on the roadsides and how to follow the program rules by wearing safety vests, putting up men working signs at both ends of the cleanup area and staying off the edge of the highway when there is traffic. Club members practice teamwork when performing highway cleanup and also use appropriate safety measures.”

 

Club: Clarks Mills Good Sports 4-H Club — Manitowoc County

Date of Activity: November 12, 2013

Number of people who worked on project: 36 youth; 10 adults

Number of hours: 1 hour per person

The Clarks Mills Good Sports 4-H Club in Manitowoc County supported members of the American armed forces by making and decorating holiday cards for military service men and women, veterans, and their families through the American Red Cross “Mail for Heroes” program.  Club members drew pictures, decorated cards and wrote personal messages. Cards were filled with holiday greetings, messages of thanks, and notes of encouragement. A total of 241 cards were sent from the club. Here’s their story:

“Personal holiday messages from club members helped to send a touch of home to our military members. A past club member and present military member received holiday cards through the Mail for Heroes program and shared with his family how much it meant that others were appreciative of his military service to our country. These cards were given out at USOs, veterans hospitals, and military bases. Many of these service men and women are away from their families over the holidays and it can be a difficult time for them. These cards help bring a little bit of home to them and also provides words of thanks and encouragement to help them through the holiday season.

4-H club members were able to share their appreciation for our military service men and women in a tangible way by creating and decorating holiday cards. They were able to include holiday greetings, messages of thanks, and notes of encouragement. Many of the families in Clarks Mills Good Sports 4-H Club have a family member or know of someone that is presently or has served in the military. Knowing that many of our service men and women would not be able to be home for Christmas, club members wanted to be able to make their holiday a little brighter with a card from “home.”