Freeport, IL – Giving back to your community gives you a sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation for what you have.  4-H youth in Stephenson County have learned that one way of giving back is through using your hands for larger service.

Stephenson County 4-H Ambassador’s planned and conducted a community service project this year, that involved making handmade tie-blankets for those in need. The Ambassador team of 9, along with 10 local 4-H clubs made 31 tie blankets, that were donated locally to the Madonna Renewal Center and Pearl Pavilion.

“The 4-H Ambassadors really got excited about this community service project,” says 4-H Program Coordinator, Brenda Heimann, “the teens were involved in the whole process: from planning, to inviting their friends to participate, to making blankets themselves, and then delivering them in-person.”

4-H stands for the four H’s: head, heart, hands, and health, which is part of the 4-H pledge. Youth that are enrolled in 4-H are encouraged through their 4-H clubs & 4-H events to use these four H’s to give back to their club, community, country and world. 

The 4-H Ambassador program is for youth ages 12 and older, that are enrolled in a 4-H club and want to be engaged on a leadership level within their county. 4-H Ambassadors are a youth-voice that help promote 4-H and encourage younger youth to want to be in the 4-H program.

If you would like to learn more about 4-H or the Ambassador program, please call our Stephenson County Extension office at 815-235-4125 or check out our website at: web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw

About 4-H: Illinois 4-H strives to help youth learn skills for living. 4-H programs are offered in every Illinois county by University of Illinois Extension. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 250,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming. 4-H is a community of seven million young people around the world learning leadership, citizenship, & life skills. For more information, contact University of Illinois Extension-Stephenson County at 815-235-4125.