West Central District Leaders Fall Day

The WCD Leaders Fall Day will be held Saturday, November 13 in Catawba County. Workshops include: Leatherwork, Lambs 101, ARIE, NC 4-H Hungry to Help, Dried Flower Arranging, How to Help your 4-H Teen Love Cumulative Records, Fundamentals of 4-H & Etiquette for Today’s 4-H, Parliamentary Procedure, and Understanding Ages & Stages of Youth Development.

Cost is FREE for Parents and Leaders. You must register by Friday, November 5 by calling the Extension Office at 336-372-5597. This is a great networking and learning event that is open to all Alleghany County 4-H Volunteers and Parents.

4-H - Hungry to Help

We’ve all heard the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, it’s true – nutritious food is good medicine. Food is one of our most basic needs. Along with oxygen, water, and shelter, it is necessary for human survival. In a nation as affluent as the United States, no child should go hungry. Yet everyday hunger disrupts the lives of 1 in 5 children in North Carolina.

Hunger is a problem hiding “in plain sight” in North Carolina. Whether it involves skipping meals, eating less than is needed to live a healthy life, or making do with foods that are filling but not nutritious, hunger’s effects can be devastating, especially among our more vulnerable citizens, including children and older adults.

According to an analysis by Feeding America, a hunger relief organization with which the food banks are affiliated, North Carolina ranks as the second-worst state in the nation when it comes to children under 5 lacking regular access to nutritious food and as 10th-worst for children of all ages.

In May 2009, Feeding America released the results of its first analysis of food insecurity in early childhood, “Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005 - 2007.” North Carolina ranked second worst in the nation with 24.1 percent of its children under 5 judged to be food insecure and lacking regular access to nutritional food. The state was 10th worst in the same Feeding America study of food insecurity in children 0-18 years old. Both studies used figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nationally, the food insecurity average is 17 percent for children under 5.

To combat hunger the NC 4-H Youth Development program and the Food Banks of North Carolina, all of which are affiliates of Feeding AmericaTM our nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, have teamed up to promote awareness of hunger in North Carolina and to make an impact in local communities through a new hunger awareness initiative entitled “Hungry to Help.”

According to Dr. Marshall Stewart, State 4-H Leader, “Exciting plans are underway to prepare 4-H’ers, 4-H volunteers and alumni to host a variety of hunger awareness programs, can food drives (virtual and real) and sponsor hunger related volunteer efforts in their local communities. Extension offices across the state will become “drop-off” locations for can food collections and the entire Extension family is gearing up to prepare participants to be citizen leaders for hunger relief.”

4-H recognizes that knowledge and understanding are powerful tools in the battle to end hunger, and that food insecurity undermines our nation’s investments in education and health care.

Alleghany County 4-H will begin meeting this initiative by collecting food for the Solid Rock Food Closet during the months of October & November. Please bring food items by the Extension Office (90 S. Main St., Sparta) Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through November 22nd.

What can you bring? The most needed items are canned meat (chicken, turkey, ham, beef stew), canned fish (tuna, salmon), peanut butter, pasta, rice, deluxe macaroni & cheese, soup, canned vegetables (beans, corn, potatoes), or canned fruit (pears, apples, peaches). Other items you could donate are: canned fruit cocktail, canned ravioli, canned spaghetti ‘n meatballs, canned pork ‘n beans, breakfast bars, apple sauce cups, pudding cups, small plastic bottles of 100% juice, or small boxes of cereal.

4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. North Carolina Cooperative Extension at North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University conducts the 4-H program. More than 240,926 young people between the ages of 5 and 19 participate in North Carolina 4-H programs each year with the help of 21,221 adult and youth volunteers.

Additional information on the “Hungry to Help” initiative will be released on the N.C. 4-H website at www.nc4h.org. If you have questions please contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597 or e-mail Amy Lucas at amy_lucas@ncsu.edu

Teen Leadership Deadline Extended

Just a reminder, the deadline is quickly approaching to register for the Teen Leadership Retreat. Deadline to register has been extended until October 27th. Don't miss out on a chance to meet teens from across the west and west central district and participate in some wonderful workshops where you will learn about leadership development and our 4-H theme (Hungry to Help).

Leadership Conference will be on November 13th at the Sertoma 4-H Educational Center. and is open to youth ages 13 and up (must be 13 as of January 1). If you have questions or would like to register, contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597. Cost for the event is $40.00 which includes lunch, snacks and transportation.

Fall 2010 4-H Target Shooting Sports Workshop

October 22-24, 2010 at Millstone 4-H Camp
Deadline to register: October 14th

The Fall 2010 North Carolina 4-H Target Shooting Sports Workshop will be held October 22-24, 2010 at Millstone 4-H Camp, near Ellerbe, NC. The workshop is designed to equip adult volunteers to work with youth in 4-H Target Shooting Sports
Clubs. Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas and information while enhancing their skills in teaching youth through the use of the National 4-H Shooting Sports curriculum materials.

We will be accepting a total of 75 participants for the workshop - no more than 15 in each of the following disciplines: shotgun, pistol, archery, muzzleloading, and rifle (note: accepted applicants will participate in only one discipline throughout the entire weekend long training). Participants are required to pay a $75 fee to help offset some of the cost for the workshop. We are asking that all participants be registered with their local Extension office as 4-H volunteers prior to attending our workshop.

This is a hands on workshop, participants will be required to pass a written test in their discipline and required to teach portions of their curriculum as part of a practicum test. Participants should be familiar with the shooting disciplines they choose; we will not be teaching participants to shoot but rather how to use shooting sports as a youth development tool.

Deadline to register is October 14th. If you are interested in attending, please contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597. Applications can be found HERE and should be turned in at the Alleghany Office. Scholarships for the $75 fee are available. There are expectations on the county level once you have attended training.

Fodder Trot Trail

When: October 22 5:45 pm - 7:30 pm

Cost: $6.00 per person

Want to get lost in a corn maze? Come with us on an adventure to Fodder Trot Trail. The theme this year is "A Salute to American Soldier" so we will be making our way through a cannon, a soldier, stars and the US Navy Symbol. After we find our way out, we'll be enjoying hot dogs roasted on a campfire but be sure to save room for S'mores.

We will meet at the County Office Building on Friday, October 22nd at 5:45. Entry fee, transportation and snacks included. You don't want to miss out on the fall fun.

To register come by the Extension Office at 90 S. Main St (3rd floor) or for more information contact us at 372-5597.