BonnerSprings.com

A lucky clover might be a good luck charm, but in this case, it’s the young members of the Lucky Clovers 4-H Club in Wyandotte County who’ve worked to make something “lucky” happen.

As part of a service project celebrating National 4-H Week earlier this fall, county 4-H clubs were encouraged to donate nonperishable foods for a local food bank, said Peggy Berrier Boyd, Kansas State University Research and Extension 4-H youth development agent in Wyandotte County.

Gathering nonperishable foods sparked 4-H members’ concerns about families with limited resources who didn’t have food to eat and prompted the 15-member Lucky Clovers 4-H Club into action, Boyd said.

The 4-H’ers asked permission to make a pitch for donations for the food bank at the Price Chopper Supermarket in Bonner Springs, Boyd said.

Working just one Saturday, the club members raised $500 in cash donations and gathered 650 pounds of food for H.E.L.P. 317, a local food pantry, said pantry board member Judy Maxwell.

While excited about their success, when 4-H members learned the food pantry still did not have enough money to purchase a Thanksgiving turkey for the families it serves, they and their families sought contributions and raised another $865. This was enough to buy 35 turkeys for Thanksgiving and holiday hams for Christmas, Maxwell said.

“The 4-H’ers are taking away some benefits, too,” said Tessie Brandt, volunteer club leader and mother of two club members. “The food drive has helped to make the 4-H’ers much more aware of others in the community who aren’t as lucky as they are.”

Her daughter, Kylie, an eighth-grader and Lucky Clovers member, puts it this way: “Seeing others celebrate things we take for granted has made an impression on me. I’ll try to help whenever I can.”

The Lucky Clovers 4-H Club also has cleared a learning garden for inner city kids in Kansas City, Kan., said club member Tayler Miles.

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