By Ella Cline, Clovis FFA Chapter Reporter
Saying the FFA motto is one thing, but living the FFA motto takes time, commitment, and a heart for your community. Strengthening volunteerism and citizenship have always been an emphasis of the Clovis FFA Chapter. To help connect FFA members to their community and adopt a “living to serve” attitude as they enter the new year, the January chapter meeting featured community projects that quickly engage members.
Prior to the meeting, the Clovis FFA Chapter Officer team identified local and national community service organizations with a tangible need. The team worked alongside the organizations to make sure the community service projects fit with the organization’s mission. Leading up to the meeting, the chapter held a canned food and clothing drive for Poverello House, a local non-profit organization that provides services to the hungry, homeless, and hurting. Members from all agriculture classes donated gently used clothes, canned food, and toiletries.
After the regular business portion of the January FFA meeting, Clovis FFA members divided into groups and rotated through three different classrooms. Each classroom featured a different community service activity led by members of the Chapter Officer team. In the floral design classroom, members constructed floral arrangements for the residents of a local senior living center. In the neighboring room, members crafted dog toys out of old t-shirts for a local animal shelter. In the next room, members colored artwork as part of the national Color-A-Smile program, which delivers encouraging artwork and messages to those who need it most, including senior citizens, troops overseas, and the homebound. Some members also created valentines for the national Valentines for Veterans program.
After the meeting, the Chapter Officer team delivered the projects to partnering organizations. More than 50 floral arrangements were delivered to residents of the Solstice Retirement Home, Miss Winkles Pet Shelter received 75 new dog toys, Poverello House picked up a truckload of donations, and the Color-A-Smile coloring pages and Valentines for Veterans cards were mailed out. These relatively small efforts had a big impact on hundreds of people and pets throughout the region. The Color-A-Smile coloring pages are sent by the company to their mailing list with thousands of people. Pets within Miss Winkles Pet Shelter received new toys, Veterans received heartfelt valentine cards, and
senior citizens and overseas troops received colorful coloring pages that were colored to bring smiles. "Miss Winkles was so appreciative of the gift and assured me that our chapter's donations would be going to each and every dog at their facility,” reported Chapter President, Patrick Palmer. “It feels amazing to have the opportunity to serve our community and see how we can leave an impact on not only our community members, but our chapter members as well, by encouraging them to serve.”
The community service focus of the January meeting is a much-loved chapter tradition for Clovis FFA. Chapter Officers enjoy planning an event that impacts the community in a positive way, and the only requirement from members is a positive attitude, open-mindset, and a passion to make a difference.
