HOW TO START A CHAPTER WEEK OF SERVICE

HOW TO START A CHAPTER WEEK OF SERVICE

BY: BRIAN MARTIN, RUSK HIGH SCHOOL AGRICULTURE SCIENCE TEACHER

The idea of starting a local service program originated after Rusk FFA members attended the National FFA Convention Day of Service back in 2013. Students who participated agreed that our chapter should try and do something similar at the local level.

As with most new activities in a Program of Activities, getting started is often complicated and requires a lot of trial and error. The initial rollout of the Rusk FFA Week of Service was rocky and didn't even happen the first year due to conflict with too many other activities. The initial idea was to hold the event in the late spring. However, the fall proved to be more effective and successful. Flexibility and adaptability were vital.

The concept of a week of service is to provide multiple community service opportunities to FFA members throughout an entire week. Our event was originally set up to provide a one-hour time block after school each day for students to participate in a project. Over the years, the week of service has evolved to include events during the school day, bringing in donation items to help various community entities, and challenging other FFA chapters in a local food drive.

THE RUSK FFA WEEK OF SERVICE:

Monday: Members worked with the service-based organization Sole Hope to provide cut-out shoe patterns from donated blue jeans for children in Uganda.

Tuesday: Students volunteered with the Texas Forestry Service at the ID Fairchild State Forest to clear debris and preserve the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker's nesting trees from upcoming control burns.

Wednesday: Members constructed wood boxes that will be distributed throughout the local area to improve the habitat of wood ducks.

Thursday: Participants put together and delivered care packages for the local nursing home and hosted a campus cleanup effort at the primary campus' agriculture facility.

Friday: Members gathered non-perishable food items from every Rusk ISD campus as part of the "Stock the Stock Trailer" program. This initiative is a food collection program in which Rusk FFA challenges another local chapter, who happens to be the football team's opponent that week, to see who can collect the more non-perishable food items. Rusk FFA challenged Bullard FFA this year, and the chapters gathered over 12,000 items for their local food banks.

In 2021, Rusk FFA had 49 members participate in multiple community service events, and 75 students participated in at least one. Students worked cooperatively to generate 389 community service hours throughout the week!

The focus of Rusk FFA is to continue to have a great week of service locally and inspire other chapters to incorporate one into their Program of Activities. Resources are available, and if you have any questions concerning starting a week of service, feel free to contact one of the Rusk FFA ag teachers.