OFI 1938: Community Service Projects During Christmas | A Special FFA SAE Edition | Best Of Episode

Doland FFA

Avery Miles – Chapter President of the Doland FFA Chapter in Doland, South Dakota

Starting this year the Doland FFA Chapter decorated the town’s park on Main Street for Christmas. The emphasis is on lights, but there is also a beautifully lit up FFA logo at the front of the display tying the community, Christmas and the local chapter all together. This project began with a $500 grant that was received from the South Dakota FFA Association, and it was quickly matched the Doland FFA Alumi Association. This is Avery’s final year at Doland High School, but she believes that this will be come a tradition and will continue to grow in size and scope.

Southern Guilford FFA

Hannah Barnes – Chapter President of the Southern Guilford FFA Chapter in Greensboro, North Carolina

For the past four years the Southern Guilford FFA Chapter has been conducting a toy drive, beginning in mid-November, to collect toys for children in their community that can be given to them as gifts on Christmas Day. The effort is now split into a whole chapter drive and an additional drive involving the just the officer team. The chapter is partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps through their Toys For Tots program, and all of the toys are handed over to them for distribution.

In this interview Hannah highlights one of her fellow chapter members that, in spite of the $5 spending limit, donated over $250 worth of toys to the event. The generosity of this student and the entire chapter is very heart warming.

Raft River FFA

Jessi Knudsen – Vice President of the Raft River FFA Chapter in Malta, Idaho

What began with a canned food drive has now grown into a full blown gift giving extravaganza for the community in and around Malta, Idaho. As the Raft River FFA Chapter has continued to give to their community during Christmas anonymous donors from the community have joined in, giving money to the cause so that more can be bought and the joy of the season can be spread to even more people.

Sleepy Eye FFA

Adam Johnson – Chapter President of the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota

The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter participates in a backpack food program, and this year for Christmas they are putting together “Holiday Boxes” for folks needing some help in their community. They are making “tie blankets” as a chapter and giving those away in addition some food, an ornament and personal care items.

Lumberton FFA

Kamryn McInnis – Chapter President of the Lumberton FFA Chapter in Lumberton, North Carolina

“Share The Warmth” Project – the chapter used the proceeds from their poinsettia sale to purchase coats for kids identified by social services in their county. 52 coats were purchased and donated to children in the area.

Ripley FFA

Riley Knotts – Chapter Vice-President Of The Ripley FFA Chapter in Ripley, West Virginia

Riley and his fellow chapters members are supporting the “Jackson County Hunting Heroes” program by butchering deer for the veterans who have gone out on the hunts and filled their tags. The Ripley FFA Chapter has been participating in this program for quite some time, and their involvement continues to develop. In this interview Riley talks about the veterans and holds in the high regard that they deserve.

FFA LINKS:

National FFA Organization

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s)

Support FFA

Donate to FFA – One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start – pay it forward.

REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA:

Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food.
Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth.
Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store:

“The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America’s youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America’s youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue