4-H Recipe Rally

In the 4-H Recipe Rally, 4-H members are challenged with selecting, creating and/or altering a recipe and submitting a video of them demonstrating the preparation of the recipe. To participate, youth will submit their video entry online for a chance to be selected as a presenter at the Dinner Tonight with Texas 4-H Cooking School, held at the 2015 Texas 4-H Roundup. Recipes should be a healthy main dish that tie to the theme “Bringing Texas to the Table.”  Click here for more details.

4-H Day at the Texas Capitol

Join 4-H families from across Texas for the 2015 4-H Day at the Capitol, scheduled for Wed., March 25.  This event helps 4-H'ers learn more about our state legislative process, see our legislators in session, and to visit with their respective elected officials.  The event registration is $30.00 per person and includes a t-shirt, catered meal, printed materials, and appreciation tokens for our elected officials.  Registration will open February 1st and will close when the first 300 registration are received.  THIS IS A LIMITED REGISTRATION EVENT DUE TO SPACE AND WE ARE EXPECTING A QUICK REGISTRATION PROCESS.  Find out more by clicking here.

Help Needed with Water Fair

Calling 4-H members and volunteers to help with a Water Fair at Rooster Springs Elem. on Fri., Feb. 13th, 8-11 am.  You would be helping teach 3rd grade students about water, its importance and how they can protect and conserve it in the future.  Please contact Laura if you are willing and able to help.  Thank you!!

Workshop Proposals Due

Educational workshops are a big part of Texas 4-H Roundup, and now is the time to submit a proposal to present a workshop.  Roundup is set for June 9-11 in College Station.  Proposals must be submitted by Feb. 6th by clicking here.

4-H Council and Adult Leader Meetings

County 4-H Council and the County 4-H Adult Leaders Association bring together representatives of all 4-H clubs to share ideas and plan for county-wide 4-H activities.  They meet every other month.  Their next meeting for the 2014-15 year will take place on Monday, January 26, at 7:30 p.m., at the Extension Office.  

If you are an adult involved with 4-H, then please make every effort to be involved in the 4-H Adult Leaders Association.

Horse Committee Meeting

The Hays County 4-H Horse Project Committee will meet on Monday, January 26 at the Hays County Extension Office in San Marcos.  The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

A copy of the agenda can be found by clicking here.

4-H Concession Stand Supplies Available for Purchase

First off, thank you to everyone who helped make the 4-H Adult Leaders Association concession stand a great success!!  Your hard work, contributions and support are greatly appreciated.  A huge thanks to Mrs. Lois LaCaze for doing such a great job managing the concession stand.

Also, there are some drinks and supplies left over that are available to you at a discounted rate.  Come by the office (M-F, 8-12 and 1-5) to purchase.

• Sodas (a variety) - $2 for 12-packs and $3 for 24-packs
• unopened 6 lb box of tortilla chips - $5
• unopened 15 oz bags of corn chips - $1.50 per bag
• blow pops - 2 for $ .25

Just to remind everyone how the proceeds from the 4-H concession stand are used.  Through this concession stand, ALA is able to:
✰ cover the cost of volunteer application and screening fees for all enrolled Hays Co. 4-H adult volunteers
✰ cover the cost of supplemental medical insurance for all enrolled Hays Co. 4-H members and adult volunteers
✰ cover the cost of Food Handlers Course for adult and teen 4-H volunteers for this concession stand
✰ help cover expenses of 4-H members and adult volunteers participating in contests and trainings at the district, state and national levels
✰ recognize 4-H members, volunteers and supporters during various recognition events

Market Poultry Workshop

The Texas A&M Poultry Science Department will be hosting a Market Poultry Workshop on Saturday, May 9, 2015 at the Pierce Pavilion on the Texas A&M University Campus in College Station, Texas.  This workshop will run from 8:30-3.

This workshop provides an excellent oppirtnity to "hear the experts" and work alongside Texas' major poultry judges.  Educational activities include in-depth discussion on:  brooding, management, sanitation and feeding programs and selection and processing methods for broilers, turkeys, and roasters.

Also "hands on" practice in early culling and selecting, handling your birds during the show and "putting together" show pens. 

Registration is $50/person or family and can be done online at http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu.  Onsite or late (after April 27) registration is $75/person or family.  For more information, cintact the Texas A&M Poultry Science Department at (979) 845-4318.

Patiotic Art Contest

The VFW Ladies Auxiliary are once again hosting their Patriotic Art contest.  Entries are due to the Wimberley VFW by March 31.  This is for high school age youth.  Click here for more info.  Thanks to Jaci Kroupa for sharing the info!!

Texas 4-H Recordbooks & Star Awards

The Texas 4-H recordbook consists of information that a 4-H member gathers over the course of a 4-H year that documents his/her goals, knowledge and skills gained, leadership experiences, awards earned, and service in his/her community. Those experiences are recorded into forms, narratives, and a story written by the 4-H member. The information is printed, bound in a cover, and submitted for evaluation.

Click here to find out more about recordbooks and due dates for Hays County. Click here to visit the Texas 4-H Recordbook site for more instructions, forms and resources. An optional online system is available by clicking here.

In order to apply for a 4-H Star Award, you must submit your completed 4-H recordbook.  Click here for more details in pdf or click here for the Word format.

Youth Day at San Antonio Stock Show

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will have it’s Youth Day on Sat., Feb. 14, 10 am-4 pm.  This is a huge event with all kinds of activities including hands-on activities, exhibits, photography contest, and wagon and wheelbarrow parade.  4-H members and their clubs are invited to participate, and can also sign up to have a booth and/or participate. Get all the details and registration forms by clicking here.

4-H Exhibitor Cards

Attention 4-H members.  As many of you get ready for the Hays County and other shows, don't forget your 4-H Exhibitor sign. Click here to view/download the sign.  It is a pdf-fillable file, so add your name and club, print and post with your exhibits/projects during the upcoming shows.

Monthly 4-H Club Meeting Report

All 4-H clubs are required to complete a monthly 4-H club meeting report.  Click here to go to and complete the report by the 25th of each month.

4-H Clubs and groups are also required to submit a copy of their monthly bank statement(s) to our office by the 25th of each month.  I would prefer an electronic copy if at all possible. 

4-H Clothing & Public Speaking Projects Leader Training

Attention 4-H adult and teen leaders!!  If you are interested in learning more about the 4-H clothing or public speaking projects or helping to serve as a project leader for your 4-H club, please join us for our 4-H Clothing and Public Speaking Projects Leader Training on Thur., Feb. 19, at 6:30 pm, Extension office.  We will review the project and resources and then plan our County 4-H Roundup & Clothing Contest and any other activities the group is interested. 

4-H Photography Project Leader Training

Attention 4-H adult and teen leaders!!  If you are interested in learning more about the 4-H photography project or helping to serve as a project leader for your 4-H club, please join us for our 4-H Photography Project Leader Training on Thur., Jan. 29, at 6:30 pm, Extension office.  We will review the project and resources and then plan our County 4-H Photography Contest and any other activities the group is interested. 

Congrats Bobbi!!

Congratulations to Bobbi Williams, Fancy Feathers 4-H member.  She participated in the Ohio National Poultry Show November 6-9.  This is largest poultry show in the US.  It was also the 100^th year anniversary of the American Bantam Association, which Bobbi is a member.  There was over 9,600 birds in the show,  2,700 of them were in the Junior show that Bobbi competed in.  The traditional goblet trophy was for one of the birds she entered.  She won best Rose Comb Clean Legged Bantam and was 3^rd overall in the entire Junior Show.  The other trophy was awarded to her for winning the 16 year old Showmanship Class.  There was 190 kids that entered the Showmanship competition.  In the 16 year old class there was 19 entries.

4-H Food Contest Results

Congratulations to our Hays County 4-H'ers who participated in the District 4-H Food Challenge and Food Show on Dec. 13th!! 

Food Challenge:
 - Junior Team of Clayton Engler, Colton Engler and Cole Younts placed 3rd in Nutritious Snacks
- Intermediate Team of Alyssa Caldwell, Aubrie Caldwell and Bailey Phillips - placed 3rd in Fruits & Vegetables
- Intermediate Team of Araya Feeney , Kendyl Gordon, Rebekah O’Banon and Georgia Younts placed 2nd in Main Dish

Food Show:
- Jr. Fruit/Vegetable - Clayton Engler
- Jr. Protein - Colton Engler placed 4th
- Int. Fruit/Vegetable - Bailey Phillips

Special thanks to all of our 4-H Food Project Leaders and parents for all their time and leadership!!

Congrats Cole!

Congratulations to Cole Ritchie, member of the Hays County 4-H Shooting Sports Club, on being selected for the Texas 4-H Shooting Sports team!!  He is one of only 36 members of this team.  Besides representing Texas 4-H and the shooting sports projects, the team will be competing at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational on June 21-26, 2015 in Nebraska.

TSC Paper Clover Promotion Results

Thank you to all of our 4-H clubs, 4-H supporters and TSC stores for helping to make the Fall 2014 Paper Clover Promotion another great success!!  A total of 4,182 clovers were sold and $2,509 will come back to Hays Co. to support our local 4-H programs and activities.

We are very fortunate to have this Paper Clover Promotion for 4-H, have 3 great stores in our county is icing on the cake.  Be sure to express your appreciation to TSC store managers and employees for their help in managing the sales of these paper clovers in the spring and fall of each year.

Hays County 4-H Horse Shows

The Hays County 4-H Horse Committee will be hosting three horse shows, open to all 4-H members.  The shows will be held on January 3, February 14, and March 21.  All shows will be held at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. 

A show bill for all three shows can be found by clicking here.

Hays County 4-H members must be academically eligible to participate in the February 14 show.  A Declaration of Eligibility form must be completed by the school and turned in prior to your entry being accepted for show.  A Declaration of Eligibility form can be found by clicking here.  This form is specific to the February Horse Show.

Monday Night Horse Riding Series

The Monday Night Horse Riding Series has started again.  We ride on Monday nights from 6-9 p.m. at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. 

January 5 - Warm Up for the Show
January 19 - No Riding

If you have suggestions of educational topics that you would like to see offered at the Monday Night Rides, please email Richard at the Extension Office and let him know.

Need Some Laying Hens?

Jesse Huth, graduate student in the Texas A&M Poultry Science Department, is going to have about 80 White Leghorn layers for sale starting around Dec 20....they are A&M birds that were hatched for a project that ended up not getting started, so he is selling them for $10 ea. For orders of ten or more he will discount price. They will be about 30 weeks old by then and just starting to lay. Place orders at fresheggs91@yahoo.com...first come, first serve!

One Day 4-H Projects

One Day 4-H is a state-wide effort to have 4-H members and volunteers giving back within their communities.  Congratulations to our 4-H clubs who conducted One Day 4-H projects!!
 - Buda 4-H - collected and delivered $600 in supplies and money for PAWS
 - Dripping Springs 4-H - conducted landscape work at Dripping Springs Ranch Park
 - East San Marcos 4-H - cleaned up a playscape at a local park
 - Fancy Feathers 4-H - cleaned up at Wimberley Veterans Memorial Plaza
 - West San Marcos 4-H - collected 300+ lbs of food for Hays Co. Food Bank
If your 4-H club's One Day 4-H project is not listed above, please provide me the info and I'll add it.  If you haven't done it already, please click here to provide a quick report and submit photos of your projects.

Beekeeping Essay Contest

This year's theme is “Reducing the Usage of Bee-Killing Pesticides in my Community."  The deadline for this contest is January 9, 2015.  These essays will be submitted to the National contest facilitators and are all eligible for cash prizes.  Click here for the details.

Texas 4-H Scholarships

The application for the 2015 Texas 4-H Foundation Scholarship has been released.  You can find all the info and applications for 2015 Texas 4-H scholarships by clicking here.

Hays Co. 4-H Horse Judgers Shine

On Sat., Oct. 25th, the Hays Co. Horse Judging Team participated in the 31st Annual Montgomery Co. Horse Judging Contest in Conroe, Texas. Four team members represented Hays Co.4-H in the Intermediate division.  Team members were Colin DeWitt, Sarah Bouckley, Haley Garland and Arielle Wortham.  Team Awards:  4th place overall, 3rd place performance and 4th place halter.  Individual Awards:  Colin was 10th place in reasons; Sarah was 4th high point overall, 8th in performance and 4th in halter; Haley was 9th high point overall and 5th in performance; and Arielle was 8th in halter.  Way to go Hays County!

Get Enrolled in 4-H!!

If you have not enrolled in the 2014-15 4-H year, please do so!!  Click here for a "help sheet."  If you are still having trouble, please contact our office.  Please make sure your member and adult profiles are listed as "active" or at least "pending."  In order to participate in various contests and activities, you must be enrolled.

All adults working within the 4-H program should also enroll as volunteers on 4-H Connect.  The volunteer application fees are covered by the 4-H Adult Leaders Association, so it doesn't cost you anything.  And all enrolled 4-H members and volunteers are covered by the Texas 4-H liability insurance as well as the county's supplemental medical insurance.


All 4-H members will receive 4-H Members cards again this year.  Our 4-H adult volunteers will also receive 4-H Volunteer cards.  We will prepare these in large batches so we hope to start getting them out to your Club Managers to distribute at your November 4-H club meetings.  

Rockets to the Rescue Workshop

We had a GREAT trip to Southwest Research Institute on October 8 for the Rockets to the Rescue project!  If you missed it, you missed out on a lot of great learning and fun.  To get an idea of what happened during this fantastic trip, you can watch the video that was put together following this trip.  You can access the video by clicking here.

Virtual 4-H Volunteer Conference

Texas 4-H is sponsoring a virtual (online) volunteer conference addressing a variety of 4-H topics including club management, leadership, project trainings and youth/adult opportunities.  Workshops will be conducted during the day and evening hours using AgriLife Extension’s TTVN WebMeeting system.  Remaining dates for 2014-15 are:
     * Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21-22
     * Tuesday and Wednesday, August 4-5

Click here to find out more.  Please take advantage of these excellent training opportunities without leaving home.

School Attendance

Steady school attendance is very important, so check out these resources.  Click here to view the Parent's Guide to School Attendance.  Click here to visit the Missing School Matters website.

Children's Shelter Needs Your Help

Julia New with the Greater San Marcos Youth Council shared the following...

I was wondering how we could spread the word to Hays County 4-H groups that we have needs for Hays County foster care children? Our children’s shelter has received wonderful donations from groups throughout the years and it’s a pretty painless effort for everyone.  For example, cleaning supplies, snacks, juice boxes, wipes, diapers, etc. Farm Bureau customers can purchase car seats for $30 or $35 for case workers to transport babies and children in or to give to new parents. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. I’m also happy to present to any 4-H groups. 

If you would like to contact Mrs. New, she can be reached at 512-754-0500 or jrnew@gsmyc.org.

Hannah & Bindi Earn Awards at Dog Show

Hannah McGee and her dog. Bindi, recently took first place in obedience and rally and shined in the showmanship ring at the Kaufman County 4-H Show. There are 2 more Kaufman shows this fall, with a Best in Series in November. Check Texas 4-H Dog Show | Texas 4-H and Youth Development regularly for dog show and dog care workshops throughout the state. You do not have to be an active member of a dog club to participate in many of these.

4-H Shooting Sports Club Receives Grant

Cynthia Ritchie, 4-H Shooting Sports Co-Club Manager shared the following:

The Hays County 4-H Shooting Sports Club has received grants from local area chapters of the Friends of National Rifle Association (NRA) and the USA Midway Foundation through Texas State Rifle Association.  The NRA has been a generous supporter over the last two years by providing thousands of dollars worth of shooting supplies such as ammunition, shooting equipment and archery equipment.  The USA Midway Foundation's grant goes specifically to pay for training the 4-H volunteers in the various Shooting Sports disciplines.  This year the club has received $8,503.92 in grants and over $1,000 in private donations.  For more info on the Hays County 4-H Shooting Sports Club, click here.

Video Proves a Point

Hays County Sheriff Cutler shared this video and encourages everyone who operates a vehicle to please watch it and keep it in your thoughts while driving.  Click here to watch the video.

District 4-H Community Service Projects

The District 4-H Council has come up with 2 service projects this year, and is inviting everyone to take part.

Animal Shelter - Collect and donate supplies to your local shelter.  Items could include dry or canned dog/cat food, cat litter, treats, towels, newspapers and toys.  Click here for more details.

Children's Hospital - The wish list includes toys, books, craft items, board and electronic games, etc.  Click here for info.  We will collect these items and get them to the District 4-H Council officers who will deliver them to the Children's Hospital in San Antonio.  Either take your donated items to upcoming district 4-H contests and activities or bring them to our office and we will get them to the district officers.

4-H Veterinary Science Project

A 4-H Veterinary Science Project Group is forming in Hays County.  They will be having their Vet Science meetings on the 3rd and 4th Tuesdays of the month starting Sept.16. The meetings will be held at 7:00 pm at the home of Carmen Farmer. Those that are interested can email or call her and she will give directions on how to get to her house in Buda.  This is open to all Hays County 4-H members.  Carmen can be reached at 5runningfree@gmail.com or by phone at 360-265-3299.

Attention Hays CISD Students!!

We have been notified by Hays CISD that all 4-H members attending their schools must complete and submit the Hays CISD Extracurricular Code of Conduct.  Click here to download and print the form.  Hard copies of the form should be available at your September 4-H club meetings.  You will need to read the form and then complete the signature page and submit to our office either in hard copy or via e-mail - we only need the last page which is signed so please keep the rest of the form for your own reference.  If you have any questions about this form, please contact Suzi Mitchell with Hays CISD at 512-268-8538.

2014-15 Hays County 4-H Handbook

Hard copies of the Handbook are being distributed during 4-H club meetings, but you can view and download your own copy now by clicking here.  This handbook is an excellent resource for all 4-H families.  Please review it and learn about all the great opportunities 4-H has to offer!!

The Magic of Electricity

On August 20, 4-H members from Hays, Guadalupe, and Travis Counties met at the Philips Corporation in San Marcos to explore the Magic of Electricity.  This video is an overview of the fun and learning that took place during this event.  Click here to download the video.

4-H Honored at Commissioners Court

A special thanks and congratulations to all of our 4-H members and volunteers who attended the Hays County Commissioners Court meeting on August 12th!!  We had a great group of about 20, and the Judge and Commissioners were very complimentary of our 4-H program.  We provided a 2013-14 Highlight Report and recognized recent award recipients.  Rachel McDaniel also provided some comments about the impact 4-H has made on her life.  Click here to view the 2013-14 Hays County 4-H Youth Development Report.  You can also view the presentation by clicking here.

4-H Club Manager & Officer Workshop

Thank you to everyone who participated in our this workshop on July 12th.  All 8 of our 4-H clubs were represented, which is great!!  We covered a lot of info, but more importantly our 4-H club members and volunteers got to interact and share ideas with each other.  Click here to view the PowerPoint presented during the workshop.  Special thanks to Texas State University's FCS program for allowing us to have the workshop in their building at no cost.  Please take a few minutes to write a few thank you notes to:

Dr. Rodney Runyan (allowed us to use the building)
School Director
FCS 104
Texas State University
601 University Dr.
San Marcos, TX 78666

Mrs. Denise Dorsey (opened building and helped with set up)
Administrative Assistant
FCS 101C
Texas State University
601 University Dr.
San Marcos, TX 78666

We discussed having a 4-H Club Resource spot on this website, so we'll be working on that over the next month or so.  It will contain resource handouts and ideas for clubs to utilize.  Please share with us any suggestions you have for what should be added.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) Virus Information

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus is a disease that is currently threatening the United States Swine Industry.  It is not just commercial swine operations that are at risk.  Show pig operations are also being affected by this.  By putting into practice some basic biosecurity measures, you can help to lessen the chance of bring PED home with you from a show or breeder.  Please click here to find out what you can do to prevent the spread of PED Virus.

Change to 2015 Hays County Livestock Show Steer Show

There will be a big change to the 2015 Hays County Livestock Show Steer Show.  All steers will be exhibited by breed.  This will only affect steers, not heifers.  For more information about the breed characteristics that the classifiers will use, please click here.

New Youth Livestock Project Resource

There is a new online resource to support you and your livestock projects - Texas Youth Livestock and Agriculture.  The goal of this website is to provide unbiased educational resources for educators, volunteers, 4-H/FFA families and others interested in youth livestock projects and agricultural advocacy. We are committed to connecting people to credible sources of information and educational opportunities to ensure the successful development of young people involved in agriculture.  Livestock projects supported on this website include beef cattle, goat, sheep, swine, horse, poultry, and rabbits.  The website can be found at http://www.texasyouthlivestock.com/.

4-H Volunteer Training Scholarships

With the dissolution of the District 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association, their funds will now provide scholarships to 4-H volunteers for training.  So if you are looking at volunteer trainings (Volunteer Conference, Shooting Sports Coach Certification, etc.), then check the 4-H blog for an application.  Each county is limited to 2 scholarships per year, and the amount given will be $100 per volunteer.  Scholarships will be issued until the money is depleted.  You can access the scholarship form by clicking here.

District 4-H Facebook Page

The District 10 Facebook page is up and running!  Please “like” the page for up to date information on events and activities in the program:  https://www.facebook.com/District.10.4H.

Hays County 4-H Adult Leader Reimbursement Policy

The Hays County 4-H Adult Leaders Association has money allotted in their budget to reimburse Hays County 4-H members that participate in District, State, and National leadership opportunities. Their reimbursement policy was approved at their September 23, 2013 meeting. It was amended at the September 22, 2014 meeting of the Hays County Adult Leaders Association. Their reimbursement policy to Hays County 4-H members is:

"Members will be reimbursed for registration and lodging only. Reimbursement will not exceed $250 per year. Reimbursement for lodging will only be one per family. Reimbursement will be made after participation in the event. If a Hays County 4-H member has not yet attended or participated in the event, the Hays County 4-H Adult Leaders Association has the right to approve reimbursement on an as needed basis. All receipts for reimbursement must be turned in within 60 days after participation in the event.

A maximum reimbursement of $250 per member will be allowed during each 4-H year. Members must also complete 20 hours of community service. Of the 20 hours, at least 15 hours must be given in service to the Hays County 4-H program. A check request, copies of receipts and documentation of service must be submitted for reimbursement prior to the Adult Leaders Meeting. No reimbursement checks will be written until after approval at the Hays County Adult Leaders Association meeting."

　
These guidelines are subject to change. Please refer to the Hays County 4-H blog for any updates or to access a copy of the check request form for reimbursement. A copy of the check request form can be downloaded by clicking here.

4-H News & Events App

Check your app store for the "4-H News and Events" app.  This is a free app that includes info for county, district and state 4-H activities.  We are beginning to add dates and events to the app for Hays County as yet another way to keep folks up to date. 

New Opportunity - 4-H SPIN Clubs

Texas 4-H is also offering a new initiative this year, 4-H SPIN clubs, which are short-term experiences focused on a specific topic.  SPIN, standing for Special Interest, clubs allow kids ages 5 to 18 with common interests or hobbies to meet as a club and share their special interest.  Whatever their passion is, kids can gain knowledge and enhance their skills through a positive group experience.  A SPIN club can be started with a minimum of one adult volunteer and five young people with an interest in a particular topic.  While the adult provides expertise and guidance, club members take an active role in planning and running their own activities.  SPIN clubs reach out to youth and families with common interests and brings them together. They are a great way to introduce young people to a specific hobby or interest they might not otherwise have a chance to develop within a group setting.

Lots of Ways to Help Hays Co. Food Bank

The Hays County Food Bank has one mission - to feed hungry people in Hays County.  There are many opportunities to help them do this, so here are a few:

- Your 4-H club could participate in the Turkeys Tackling Hunger campaign in which you can help "feed a family for Thanksgiving."  Share your good fortune and help others by putting up posters, coordinating a fund drive at your office, or even donning a turkey suit for special events. For every $20 that you raise, a family enjoys a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner.  Contact Laura or click here to find out more.

- We are scheduling times during the year for 4-H members and volunteers to help organize food donations.

- 4-H teens could partner with parents and/or other adult volunteers to do pick up's of donated food.

- And the Food Bank is always glad to receive donations - both food or money.  They accept a wide variety of healthy, nonperishable food items including boxed or bagged food, and canned food.  Most needed items include rice and beans (preferably in 1-pound bags); macaroni and cheese; canned fruits and vegetables; cereal and oatmeal; tuna, salmon, and other canned meats; peanut butter and jelly; pasta and pasta sauce; Jell-O (regular and sugar-free).  Last year Buda 4-H collected lots of foods through their "trick or treat for canned goods" project.  There are many great ideas, so just find fun ways to collect and donate food to help those in need.