Front row/far
left, Sarah Starasta and back row/far left, Katie Lynn
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Logan
4-H members attend Hunger Summit
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[October 03, 2018]
LINCOLN
- Lunch took on a new meaning at the Illinois 4-H Hunger Summit held
Sept. 21-23 in Normal. Sponsored by University of Illinois
Extension, the summit was the first statewide training to prepare
4-H teens to tackle hunger issues in their local communities.
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When the 60 participants opened their lunchboxes
Saturday, many were surprised, said Bill Million, Illinois Extension
4-H youth development specialist. Some boxes contained an abundance
of food; others just a banana or a bag of chips.
Deana McDonagh, U of I professor of industrial design, said the
activity helps teens put themselves in the role of the people they
hope to help. “If you don’t put the person in the center of your
planning,” McDonagh said, “you’re not going to make an impact.”
The activity prepared the youth for their weekend goal as 4-H Hunger
Ambassadors: designing a plan to address hunger in their local
community. Logan County 4-H participants at the summit included
Katie Lynn and Sarah Starasta. In addition to the hunger simulation,
teens toured Midwest Food Bank, a 100,000 square-foot food
distribution center in Normal.
David Keiser and his farming family started the food bank in a 9,600
square-foot building on their farm. The response was overwhelming
and the need was great. Today, the new facility in Normal services
275 agencies monthly. Besides food pantries across the state,
Midwest also responds to disasters, working through the Salvation
Army and Red Cross to package boxes which provide a family of four
with a week’s worth of supplies.
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Most of the workers are volunteers. The Hunger Summit
participants spent two hours repackaging bulk boxes of granola into family
sized, vacuum-sealed sacks. The group packaged 1,500 bags.
Many 4-H groups are already making a difference in their communities. The
Olympia Pacesetters 4-H Club of McLean County operates the Helping Hands food
pantry and clothing exchange center in Stanford. The food pantry has scheduled
hours and also includes an emergency mini food pantry outside the center. The
metal pantry was built as a 4-H welding project by a 4-H club member. People are
encouraged to take what they need, or drop off food when they have excess.
Teens investigated the issues of hunger, such as lack of transportation to
stores, cost of healthy food options, food portions and waste, and the lack of
media attention. Participants said they were not aware of many of the problems
faced by those in need.
The Illinois 4-H Foundation provided financial support for the event.
[Patty Huffer, Logan County Extension]
About 4-H: Illinois 4-H empowers and prepares Illinois
youth for success. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H
programs in every county in Illinois, affecting the lives of 200,000
youth each year through sustained learning clubs, groups and
short-term programming. |