Ideas for 4-H Community Service Projects

4-H is dedicated to help youth become responsible citizens while leading healthy and productive lives.

If your 4-H club completes a community service project, we would love for you to share your experience with us by completing this survey! This survey will help us gather information about the community service activity being conducted in West Virginia 4-H and help us better showcase the work you and your members do to make your local communities a better place. In addition, we will select community service projects submitted through this survey link to be showcased statewide throughout the 4-H year!

In order to complete this survey, you will need the following information:

• Name of 4-H Club
• County
• Name of Service Project
• Service Project Start & End Date
• Service Project Location
• Brief Service Project Description
• Brief Description of Individuals/Organization that Benefited from the Service Project
• Partnering Organization Names (if applicable)
• Total Number of 4-H Youth & Adult Participants
• Total Number of 4-H Youth & Adult Service Hours (10 members x 1 hour = 10 service hours)
• Overall Impact Statement (ex. 100 flags were distributed or 25 old flags were properly retired)
• Photo of Service Activity (if applicable)

Share Your Club's Community Service Project Story with Us Here!

Service Project Ideas

We have assembled a list of community service project ideas grouped around the following areas: 

Help for the Hungry/Homeless

• Collect money for a homeless shelter.  
• Host a clothing drive. 
  
• Make “I Care” kits or “Blessing Boxes ” with combs, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc.  
• Make a care package with mittens, socks, t-shirts, long underwear, etc.  
• Host a food drive for a local food bank.  
• Collect canned goods, toys, or household items for those in need.
  
• Collect coats and blankets for distribution. 
  

Senior Citizens

• Adopt a “grandfriend” by sending cards or making phone calls to local CEOS members.  
• Send cards to the nursing home.
• Rake leaves, shovel snow, clean gutters, or wash windows for a senior citizen.
• Pickup medicine, or groceries for an elderly person.
• Deliver meals to homebound individuals.
• Offer to pick up groceries with/for a senior citizen.
• Make decorations to celebrate holidays in Senior Centers, extended care facilities, hospitals or nursing homes.
• Have a virtual sing-a-song with a local nursing home. Stay logged on to chat with residents after teaching them new songs.  

Service to Local Youth

• Adopt a 4-H Cloverbud by sending cards or fun activities for a Cloverbud to do at home.
• Tutor a student that needs help.
• Collect and donate books to the library.
• Organize a virtual walk-a-thon for a needy organization, group, or family. 
• Make “Kits for Kids” by decorating shoe boxes and filling them with school supplies, toys, and other items.
  
• Collect suitcases, clothes, toys, etc. for kids in foster care.
• Challenge other clubs or groups to see which organization can collect the most canned food in a week.
• Donate to a food bank.
• Sponsor a personal hygiene drive for a local community resource center or health department.

Community/Neighborhood Enhancement

• Organize a yard work crew to clean areas in older cemeteries, parks, etc.
• Clean up a vacant lot.
• Organize a community beautification project.
• Organize a campaign to raise money to purchase and install new playground equipment at a local park.
• Campaign for additional lighting along poorly lighted streets.
• Paint a mural or clean up a local park.
• Plant flowers in public areas that could use some color.
• Create an Active Pathways at a local community center, park or school to promote healthy living.

Politics & Government

• Write letters or cards to service members.
• Ask what you can do to help people register to vote.
• Identity a local issue you are concerned about and contact someone in local government with your ideas on what to do about it.
• Organize a virtual public issues forum for your neighborhood.

The Environment

• Donate newspapers to a paper drive or organize your own paper drive.
• Plant a garden or tree where the whole neighborhood can enjoy it.
• Clean up trash along a river, in a park, along the beach, on a nature trail or along the road.
• Create a habitat for wildlife.
• Create a campaign to encourage biking and walking.
• Test the health of the water in your local lakes, rivers, or streams.
• Plan and build a nature trail.

Pets & Animals  

• Work with a local veterinarian and coordinate an animal health or rabies clinic.
• Virtually sponsor a local shelter animal to promote adoption in the community.

Organizations to Collaborate with:  

• County Commissions
• County or Town Boards
• County Board of Educations
• Afterschool Programs
• Day Care Facilities
• Master Gardeners
• Community Educational Outreach Service
• Chambers of Commerce
• Park and Recreation Departments
• Local Civic Organizations
• Faith-based Organizations
• West Virginia Department of Transportation
• Homeless Shelters
• Missions
• Public Libraries
• Nursing and Long-Term Care Facilities

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