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[November 17, 2014]
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During the National 4-H Week
celebration recently held in October, local 4-H clubs were
challenged to gather enough canned goods and items to create a
structure to promote 4-H and hunger awareness in their communities.
According to Whitney Ajie, Extension Educator for the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program in Extension Unit 16, hunger is often a
hidden problem and our perception of who is hungry in our state can
be biased. In reality, hunger affects a significant portion of our
state’s population. Approximately 15% or over 1 of every 6 people
did not have access to nutritious food sometime during the year in
Illinois. (Figures taken from 2012 statistics on the “Feeding
Illinois” website).
In Illinois, Food Security is an issue for 21.6% of children
state-wide and 21.4% in Logan County which is 1 in 5 children
locally. Over 40 club members assisted in creating the hunger
awareness structures and approximately 300 cans of food and
additional items were donated to Food Pantries to help address
hunger locally after judging of the 4-H club structures was
completed.
Participants in the CANstruction challenge included The Pioneers 4-H
club who were awarded first place in the challenge, Wide-A-Wake 4-H
club who received second place, and Hollanders 4-H club with the
third place structure.
For additional information on the Logan County 4-H program or SNAP
(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), please contact the
Logan County Extension Office at 732-8289.
Text and pictures by Patty Huffer, Logan
County Extension Program Coordinator |
