Four local 4H’ers, Gavin Beck, Christina West-Luchessi, Isabella Geoia and Travis Griffith, have been selected as part of a 22-member delegation to represent California at the upcoming 4H National Leadership Conference in Washington, DC.
While they are visiting the nation’s capital the 4H representatives will be given the opportunity to explore, develop and refine their civic engagement skills.
“This will help us become outstanding leaders,” the group said in a fundraising letter to local businesses. “Through tours of Washington, DC and hands-on educational workshops, we will learn about the history of our nation, the leaders who have shaped it, and how they can apply their enhanced leadership and citizenship skills to issues in Lassen County.”
The Lassen group is scheduled to meet representatives in DC, hoping to discuss important issues with them.
In order to be part of the 4H Washington Focus conference the Susanville contingent had to identify an issue or problem in Lassen County and help be part of the solution in the form of a service learning project.
“We determined food insecurity in Lassen County has many different looks. Our county is LARGE 4,720 sq miles, and the main grocery stores are located primarily in Susanville and that leaves much of our county without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food.”
According to the 4H’ers, Lassen Modoc Food Bank services the entire county but often does not have a large variety of fresh foods and depends completely on volunteers for distribution. The issues and problems clearly identified by the group were sheer distance, cost and availability of nutritious food.
The members said that they were shocked when they really looked at our county and realized that small towns like Milford and Doyle, both of which host their own 4-H clubs, are food insecure. Residents in these areas must drive at least 10 minutes to a gas station convenience store.
“A gas station mini-mart does not offer affordable nutritious food, but do offer high priced low nutritious food in a large quantity. The members looked closer and could find canned goods like soup and chili at more than triple the cost at high priced chain grocery store.”
Research showed that that a trip to a traditional type grocery story was minimum of 35+ miles, and often people drove more than 50 miles to shop for food.
The members were also reminded that public transportation is exceptionally limited – a public bus running early morning (one way) and afternoon (one way).
“Our project will volunteer with the Lassen Modoc Food Bank – helping to provide physical labor, maintaining the food bank, distribution of foods, administrative tasks and even helping to supply fresh produce, through a community garden, to more rural distribution centers.”
The four exceptional California delegates say they will take skills learned in the National Conference and transfer them to the service learning project here in Lassen County.
“Also, we will make presentations at local events and clubs about our learning experience and project. Thank you for supporting us and we look forward to coming back with a full presentation of our experience!”
So far the Washington Focus group have gone together as a group and done presentations – and partnered with local businesses and organizations. Gavin, Christina, Bella and Travis have visited Susanville Ford, Sunrise Rotary, Tip a 4-H’er@LumberJacks, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Lake 4H, Saint Patrick’s Dinner, Parent Night Out, Panda Express, Theresa Nagel, Tractor Supply, Customer Talk and the Soroptimists.
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