This is National 4-H Week. 4-H is a structured youth development program for ages 5-19. The overarching purpose of the program is to provide positive environments for youth to develop life and leadership skills.  Community service is encouraged and celebrated.

The Trick or Treat so Others Can Eat (TOTSOCE) project is one example of the many programs in which Ventura County clubs participate, assisting families and individuals in need of help.

For the TOTSOCE Teen Leader Kimberly Cloverly, life and leadership skills have developed over her 14 years of consecutive participation (she has collected food for others every Halloween since age 2!).  All collected food goes to Food Share, Ventura County’s food bank. Food is then distributed throughout a network of 240 certified charitable agencies. These agencies serve children, families in crisis, low-income seniors, the homeless, handicapped, disabled and many others living within the cities and communities of Ventura County.

Recently I had an opportunity to talk to Kimberly about the program and her participation. Her enthusiasm for this project is amazing.

Kimberly’s first memory of TOTSCOE is being dressed as a lion and pulling a red wagon filled with collected food. She remembers being very excited that in addition to the cans of food, people also gave her candy. Her mother estimates she was about three at the time.

When she reached middle school age, more of the coordination and outreach responsibilities became hers. She remembers feeling joyful to have the new responsibilities while continuing to collect and encouraging other youth to participate.

As is typical in 4-H projects and programs, as youths master a skill level, a new level is introduced with supportive adult leaders and mentors assisting and encouraging as the next level is mastered. This is what has happened for Kimberly with TOTSOCE. She hopes to earn the Emerald Star, which is a 4-H award to members who are involved with a community service project that touches people within a large geographic area.

Currently her main responsibilities are to: organize the program and participants; motivate and communicate through emails, press releases, and interviews with assorted media outlets; and use spreadsheets to coordinate logistics and analyze the program to provide follow-up news and results after the collection period has ended.

Her favorite part of the project is helping families. Most of the time those who receive the donated food remain anonymous, although from time to time people come forward to offer thanks and share their stories. She particularly enjoys these occasions to learn about particular people who have been helped by the program. It is even better, she says, to put faces and stories together.

When asked what her hopes and dreams are for the program, she quickly said “to collect more food.”  She then added that she would also like to train a new Teen Leader because it won’t be long before she is off to college. It is important to her that the program be sustained. A new adult leader will be needed too.

She asked that I share that TOTSOCE is open to all youth and youth groups. With the help of the internet, youth groups in Northern California and Ohio have communicated with Kimberly and in turn collected food for their communities. It is very easy to get involved. Information, materials and contacts for the program can be found here.

Last year TOTSOCE food collection dropped to about 800 pounds, down from over 4,000 pounds the year before. The amount of people in our county requesting help from local food pantries during the same period as risen nearly 20,000 per month to over 54,000 people per month in Ventura County. Please do what you can to support this program and our youth.

This year’s official food collection period is October 16 through November 7. Questions, comments, and interview requests can be sent here.