Volunteer: a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service (Merriam-Webster).
Volunteers are the backbone of our 4-H program. They are the connection and cog that helps to make the program continue forward.
Our volunteers work alongside our members helping to overcome challenges, spark new ideas, and develop a meaningful relationship that those kids can depend on. Our volunteers help our youth to achieve whatever goals they have set for themselves. They are the caring adult that potentially helped them house, care for or even create whatever project they were interested in.
In 2020-2021, our volunteers helped to move our program forward. They stepped up when we were presented with impossible tasks that came with impossible questions. How do we make 4-H happen in a virtual world? How do we keep our members, volunteers, and their families safe in an uncertain time?
Within Fayette County and others around the state, our volunteers stepped up, they learned new things and made the best of a crappy situation. Fayette County’s 100-plus advisors persevered. It might not have been pretty to start and the number of times someone had to been told “you’re still muted” is unfathomable, but here we are coming out on the other side, with some improvements to better serving our clientele.
We have hybrid options for members and families to join when challenges arise and we have found new ways to communicate and share information. In communities like ours, the phrase “it takes a village” is common and could not hold truer than what it does for 4-H and those who make it come to life.
Volunteers and parents help make 4-H possible. Without 4-H volunteers and parents the program would not have the mentors and leaders that 4-Hers need in order to learn the new skills that 4-H has to offer youth. With each volunteer comes knowledge, experiences, and skills which can be taught to 4-H youth and shared with the 4-H program “to make the best better.”
Volunteers and parents are a major reason for 4-H’s success in youth development. Since 1902, parents and volunteers have helped the 4-H program develop successful leaders, build young minds, and set the path for 4-Hers to take the world by storm.
To become a 4-H volunteer, you will be invited to special training meetings and will receive newsletters and other written materials to help you learn your responsibilities as a volunteer. Your County Extension Educator and current volunteers will mentor you too.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a 4-H volunteer, contact the Extension office 740-335-1150 or visit our website, fayette.osu.edu.
Volunteers are truly a gift to be treasured! Thank you for your time, dedication, and commitment to Ohio State University Extension and Fayette County 4-H!
You are “Making the Best Better!”
Thank you, Advisors!
The local volunteers are:
Leslye Arnold, Wayne Arnold, Denise Bain, Jeffrey Bain, Megan Batson, Debbie Baughn, Annie Beatty, Keturah Bennett, Tiffany Bennett, Natasha Black, Amber Blair, April Blake, Suzanne Boedeker, Julie Caldwell, Robert Caldwell, Mindy Callahan, Shawna Chace, Ashley Clark, Jolena Cline, Jennifer Coe, Montana Coe, Betty Cook, Cassidy Cook, Jill Cottrill, Allen Cundy, Natalie Cundy, Jenna Dawes, Dawn Dawson, Heather Deskins, Woodrow Deskins, Jennifer Eggleton, Jamie Etzler, Jeremy Etzler, Herb Everhart, Sara Everhart, Marilyn Fannin, Jacklyn Farrens, Melinda Frye, Elizabeth (Beth) Gerber, Loree Goddard, Courtney Hagler, Kim Haines, Barbara Hidy, Dale Hidy, John Hiser, Mark Hiser, Ryan Hiser, Melissa Holstein, Mikayla Imperati, Kayla Jones, Elizabeth King, Kyle King, Amber Leasure, Kristen Leisure, Aimee Lindsey, Bonnie Maki, Julie Manbevers, Stacey Mayer, April McCarty, Amanda McCoy, Bryan McCoy, Don Melvin, Tabitha Melvin, Tanner Mick, Travis Mick, Molly Mickle, Betsy Miller, Kimberly Miller, Diane Faris Munro, John Peterson, Julie Peterson, Abbigayle Pettit, Eric Pitstick, Tonya Pollock, Dustin Reed, Robert Reed, Abigail Riley, Jenny Riley, Grenetta Ritenour, Ashley Roberts, Steven Schrader, Kim Sinnock, Jay Smalley, Keith Smith, Mark Snider, Michele Snider, Michael Sollars, Melissa Steele, Pat Taylor, Catherine Thompson, Cheyanna Trenner, Anthony Trout, John Vandyke, Kris Waits, Stephanie Warner, Brian Webb, Robin Webb, Jeannine Whiteside, Josh Wilt, Matt Wilt, Robert Wolfe.
