South Dakota State University Extension 4-H members donated nearly 900 hygiene care kits for people in need during the 2023-2024 statewide community service project.
For the project, members collected personal hygiene items and packaged them into Clover Care Kits. The kits contained hygiene items like a bath towel, washcloth, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo/conditioner, soap and deodorant. 4-H members and their families donated 894 kits to organizations that serve people in need across the state.
“The Clover Care Kits community service project through SDSU Extension 4-H was an initiative to empower 4-H members, their families, and community supporters to gather daily care items that were donated to local agencies serving individuals in need,” said Hilary Kroupa, SDSU Extension Program Manager and Regional Youth Educator. “This project helped our young people better understand that not everyone has access to the most basic needs and with a little bit of generosity we can assist others in living a more meaningful and healthy life.”
The Tripp County 4-H program, led by junior member Khloe Briggs, provided the largest contribution by donating 188 kits. The Tripp County 4-H program will receive a plaque for its efforts and was recognized at the 4-H Recognition Ceremony during the South Dakota State Fair.
Briggs placed donation bins at local stores and advertised in the newspaper to encourage donations. She said promoting the project to her 4-H club and area businesses helped her develop her public speaking abilities and learn how she can make a difference for others.
“I realized how good it is not only for me, but for the community,” Briggs said. “I would like to keep doing it.”
In Tripp County, kits were donated to a food pantry and the Winner Resource Center for Families. In nearby Gregory County, the local backpack program was one of the receiving agencies.
Peggy Cassidy, who co-leads the program with Charlene Juran, said they provide backpacks with nonperishable food items to preschool through high schoolers at the Burke School District. Being able to add the Clover Care Kits to their backpacks was “the greatest thing you could have done.”
“We hope they keep doing it. It’s a really nice gesture for the kids,” Cassidy said. “You think in a small town like Burke you don’t need to worry about kids being hungry, you’re wrong.”
Every year, SDSU Extension 4-H facilitates a community service project to provide 4-H members with a hands-on learning opportunity. Thanks to that emphasis on community service, 4-H members are four times more likely to give back to their communities than non-4-H members.
“4-H provides youth involved with the skills and experiences to be beyond ready for whatever experiences or challenges they may experience in their future,” said Kroupa. “This project allowed our youth to be beyond ready to serve their community both now and into the future.”
For more information, contact Hilary Kroupa, SDSU Extension Program Manager and Regional Youth Educator, at 605-688-4167 or Hilary.Kroupa@sdstate.edu.
Photo credit: Rique Briggs.
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