2020 Hometown Heroes

2020 Hometown HEROES Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS May 14, 2020 Page 193 “Even though we are meeting virtually, the members are using their Heads to work on planning and organizing how we can contribute to communities during this time of need as some are working on sewing masks and putting together face shields. “Members are using their Hearts to communicate to others by sending them notes of encouragement. Hands are put to work in the home learning/helping to prepare meals for the family and have meals they prepare delivered to neighbors. Members are keeping in good Health by exercising with family to keep themselves strong in order to help others. I look forward to reading about what they have learned from these experiences in their 4-H Records this year! “Although separated by social distancing, I am proud of the 4-H Ethics that the Atlanta Ag 4-H members/families are showing as individual units. They are “Making the Best Better” for our community – our country – and our WORLD!” Leslie Starasta - Cloverdale Club Leslie Starasta, leader of the Cloverdale Club is helping her members adapt to the circumstances. For herself, she says that the duties as a leader really aren’t that different from before Covid-19. The big differences are lying in how the club meets and interacts. “During ‘normal’ existence, I reach out to my members and their families via email, text message, and phone calls especially when a deadline is coming up such as registering their projects for the fair. So my individual contact with members really hasn’t changed that much. As I see posts from the 4-H office or the state 4-H office that relate to projects members are doing, I send them a message to make sure they have seen the opportunity. “What has changed is our monthly meetings. For our April meeting, we met using a Zoom conference call. During that month we did not have a presentation from a guest speaker but we had our usual business meeting. We said the pledges together, read the secretary and treasurer reports, and discussed new and old business as we usually would. As that meeting was at the beginning of April and we were still early into our “shelter in place” existence, we had each member share what they had been working on for one project. “As we look toward our May meeting, I am hopeful that a guest presenter will be able to join us. We also have several members who are signed up for talks or demonstrations for our next meeting. I hope those members will be willing to give those in our Zoom format. If not, I’m going to encourage them to send me a video that we can share among other members. “Our club did receive a Farm Credit Service Grant for butterfly conservation efforts at Creekside Environmental Center. We will be continuing with our grant but will be arranging for member families to go out at separate times until restrictions are lifted. There are also aspects of the grant that we can do from our homes and I will be sending information to members about those opportunities.” To help 4-H leaders and members prepare for the future and what could lie ahead this summer, the Illinois Extension also put out a release for members and the public about how 4-H projects will be able to move forward, and what summertime activities have had to be canceled for the time being. CONTINUED u