AMES, Iowa—Recipients of the 2007 Pioneer Community Improvement Grants have recently been announced. A total of $5,035 was awarded to 36 4-H Clubs in Iowa. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, in cooperation with Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development, awarded $50 to $250 to each club.
“The Pioneer grant program gives young people the opportunity to make a positive difference in their communities while learning valuable life skills,” said Albert Grunenwald, associate director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. “These grants help young people develop a sense of belonging and appreciation for the communities where they live.”
The grants encourage local 4-H clubs in Iowa to plan and carry out community improvement activities, especially project ideas that are unique to their communities. The grant money is added to local donations of time, money, labor, expertise and materials to complete improvement projects.
Many different types of projects received Pioneer Grants. On opposite sides of the state, both Henry and Plymouth Counties were awarded grant money to create barn quilts to encourage tourism in their communities.
Two other counties had similar ideas. Linn County is purchasing and landscaping new town welcome signs for Coggon’s sesquicentennial and Webster County is also landscaping a new town welcome sign in Clare.
In other parts of the state, 4-H clubs found ways to serve the young and the old in similar ways. Muscatine County is using their grant money to make and donate fleece baby blankets to the Unity HealthCare hospital and Shelby County is making lap quilts for residents at Elm Crest Nursing Home.
Ideas on unique ways to serve their communities came from northern and southern Iowa. Fayette County received grant money to run the annual Easter egg hunt for the pre-school and elementary children of Hawkeye. Monroe County was awarded money to plan, advertise, cook and serve meals at congregate meal sites for low income families.
For more information on Pioneer Community Improvement Grants and how to apply for next year, go to /4H/PioneerGrants.html or contact Sue Bogue at (515) 294-1533 or suebogue@iastate.edu.
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