4-H Delivers

Taking Aim at Homelessness

The Issue:
Currently in Shasta County, 1 in 4 families are within the federal low income level and there are about 2,100 people living in camps, parks, and in their cars. Many of the homeless live outside the city of Redding and have no access to the food banks and pantries within the city. Several 4-H members noticed some students at school did not attend every day and wore the same clothes each day they came. The 4-H youth knew that the situation of these disadvantaged students was not fundamentally right and decided to find a way to help them.

What has 4-H Done?:
The response was to develop a mobile soup kitchen in order to help provide food to those who were unable to access other avenues for their nutritional needs. The mobile soup kitchen project served the community by feeding the homeless and less fortunate families in the area. Throughout the project, the 4-hers learned a great deal about the government entities in the county, the local economy and how to develop strategies while working within a bureaucratic system. Additionally, the 4-H youth learned about food safety and proper food service to the public. 

The Payoff:
The 4-H youth were able to practice building partnerships with local merchants, service groups, and agencies. Many in the homeless community gained trust in the youth who participated and those less fortunate were provided with resources to help connect them to additional aid services. In the future, one member of the group would like to expand the project and provide assistance to people searching for jobs or further assistance.

 “The smiles and joy of doing good on New Year’s Eve will be a memory of a lifetime for all of us that helped that day.” – Youth member in the mobile soup kitchen project.