Iowa 4-H Council donates more than 20,000 items from statewide food drive

A youth organization’s idea of feeding the hungry during the holidays more than doubled its goal.

The Iowa 4-H State Council held a statewide food drive called Iowa 4-H Fighting Hunger. Holly Schmitt of Winneshiek County said their original goal was to collect 10,000 items, but Iowans across the state helped them double that number with 21,771 food items collected in seven weeks.

This statewide food drive was initiated and facilitated by all 40 members of the State 4-H Council from Nov. 2 through Dec. 18. Council members wanted to ensure that local food pantries were full during the holiday season. According to Feeding America, one in seven children in Iowa struggle with hunger.

“When you advocate for an initiative, see it happen, and successfully meet your goal, you can’t help but feel a sense of achievement within your team,” Schmitt said. “The food drive has given our state council a sense of purpose in the state and it has given individual members opportunities to grow in their marketing, communication, and leadership skills. This initiative has also helped each council member see the needs their communities have, whether that be in food donations or other acts of service, helping our group of 4-H’ers to create a lasting impact in our clubs, communities, country, and world.”

Through promotional videos, social media posts, and word of mouth, council members worked with county extension staff to engage their communities in this effort. Weekly food totals from counties were recorded by council members throughout the seven-week initiative.