Community service is an important element of every 4-H club because it articulates service learning and encourages youth to be aware of the various levels of need in their community. Community service can take many forms; it can be a single, one-time only event, an annual event, or a yearlong project. The entire family can participate in community service and often several clubs can collaborate on the same project.

Finding Community Service Projects:

• Talk to city council members
• Ask schoolteachers
• Contact other non-profit organizations
• Be aware of church charity projects
• Look in the newspaper and on television
• Get an idea of what the community needs help with, figure out a way that your club can help, mobilize your plan of action.

Sample Community Service Projects:

• Beach clean ups
• Monthly visits to retirement community/nursing home
• Quarterly staffing of food banks
• Food and clothing drives
• Adopt-a-Family during the Holiday season
• Community clean ups at churches, parks, and other public places
• Painting over graffiti walls
• Habitat for Humanity

Helpful Hints on Community Service:

• Be sure you accomplish the task you set out to do
• Choose a service that is age and resource-appropriate for your group
• Be prompt and thorough
• Make every effort to receive newspaper coverage
• Maintain contact with the organization for which you worked

Four Easy Steps for Doing Community Service:

• Identify and locate a need
• Develop a plan: what you will do, where you will do it, who will help you, what you will need for the project, how long it will take
• Implement the plan
• Review and discuss