It’s the season to give back, and many FFA Chapters are doing just that. After all, FFA members embrace the idea of “Living to Serve” as part of their local, state and national organization.
As a student-led organization, members will often take the opportunity this time of year to give others a hand up, whether through volunteering at food pantries, donating items to charities, or helping individual families by shopping for gifts. Here are some great acts of kindness that we’ve seen FFA members working on throughout the holiday season:
Shopping for families in need
One fun way that members are giving back is by selecting families or individuals to shop for this holiday season. These shopping trips provide gifts that recipients may not have been able to afford to enjoy. Shopping often means taking time away from other weekend fun, but here are a few chapters that gave up their weekends to do just that.
The Hillsboro FFA Chapter in Ohio spent part of their weekend shopping for 24 individuals that the FFA chapter adopted to help bring joy during the holiday season. Class today will focus on wrapping and preparing gifts for the families.
The Riverton FFA Chapter in Kansas is another example of a group that spent their evening shopping for younger people in the community.
South Side Bee Branch FFA officers from Bee Branch, Arkansas, spent Sunday afternoon shopping for Christmas gifts to brighten up other students’ Christmas.
Volunteering at local food banks
Volunteers play a vital role in fighting hunger in communities by packaging meals, helping to secure food, and, obviously, providing needed food resources for families in need. Many FFA chapters take the opportunity to step up and help out during the holiday season. Here are a few highlights:
Walworth County Food and Diaper Bank partnered with Lake Geneva Badger FFA in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to provide lettuce to the food bank. The local FFA chapter grew, packaged, and delivered lettuce using their hydroponic towers.
The Lomega Student Council and FFA in Omega, Oklahoma, held a food drive for the local food bank. Pre-K through Seniors took part in the food drive to help stock the shelves at the local food bank. Meanwhile, the student council and FFA members helped to deliver food items.
Other ways to serve
There are numerous other ways that FFA chapters and members are serving their communities this holiday season. From visiting nursing homes to writing cards, volunteering at animal shelters, and making blankets for children’s hospitals, these members are stepping up wherever they see a need in their community.
Burnett FFA in Texas wrote Christmas cards for their local nursing home, and also spent time volunteering at the Hill County Human Society.
FFA members from around Virginia spent time making blankets for the children’s hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, as part of a state officer community service project. After the blankets were collected, West Virginia FFA’s state officers delivered the blankets, spreading a little bit of love, warmth, and comfort during this season.
Boscobel FFA in Wisconsin went above and beyond, not only by supplying cards to the local nursing home, but also by helping senior citizens write cards and mail them for the residents.
Now, this one is something different! Members at the Woodbury FFA Chapter in Connecticut donated hair to the Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids, a nonprofit organization that has helped over 5,200 children receive a customized wig .
No matter how the members or chapters decide to serve, we love seeing FFA Chapters reach out, volunteer, and step up in their communities. With groups like these FFA Chapters, the future looks just that much more merry and bright!
