Local 4-H celebrates service during National Volunteer Week

 

[April 21, 2021] 

Volunteers are the heart of Illinois 4-H, and the University of Illinois Extension 4-H Youth Development program salutes its volunteers during National Volunteer Week. Statewide, volunteers support nearly 200,000 4-H participants in Illinois. National Volunteer Week runs April 18-24.

Our Logan County volunteers guide our 4-H members in every way, said Carissa Davis, Youth Development Educator for Extension in Logan, Menard and Sangamon Counties. National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to recognize the continued impact that volunteers have. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our clubs.

4-H clubs and programs benefit from volunteers, but volunteers also benefit from the volunteering experience; gaining skills in teaching, leadership, and communication that are useful in their work and lives. Most of our volunteers report that they gained useful skills, increased their confidence, and made connections in the community.

There’s no one path to volunteering with 4-H. Ways to volunteer locally could include leading or beginning a special interest club, teaching a skill through workshops, judging projects at fairs and competition, planning or helping at events, or serving on club advisory boards. Volunteering is a two-way street in 4-H. Volunteers give to the clubs, but the clubs really give right back.

National Volunteer Week encourages people to be engaged in their community. The Logan County 4-H program is always looking for new volunteers to share a passion, skill, talent, or time to help impact others. To learn more about becoming a volunteer in the Logan County 4-H program, contact the Logan County Extension Office at 217-732-8289.

About 4-H: Illinois 4-H strives to help youth learn skills for living. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming.

[Patty Huffer
Extension Program Coordinator/4-H Youth Development]