Posts Tagged: volunteer
4-H volunteer of 48 years is more motivated than ever
A typical day for Dee Keese starts with a 10-mile walk at 5 a.m. and her morning wraps up with a swim. Although Keese is in her late 70s, her daily routine would not surprise you if you knew what she has been doing for the last 48 years.
For nearly a half-century, Keese has been the 4-H community leader for the Palos Verdes Peninsula (PVP) club in Los Angeles County. A youth development program managed through local University of California Cooperative Extension offices, 4-H uses hands-on learning experiences to empower youth to build self-esteem and connect with their communities as emerging leaders.
“When you're pushing 80, working with young people helps to keep you young,” Keese said.
4-H has been a game changer in many ways
In the 1970s, Keese moved to the Palos Verdes area with her first-born son who had a learning disability. Others treated him differently in school, and it didn't help that he was the new kid in town. A neighbor encouraged Keese to enroll her son in 4-H.
“She told me, ‘You've got to put your son in 4-H so he can feel good about himself,'” explained Keese. “And let me tell you, it changed my life.”
In 1978, two weeks before her fifth child was born, Keese became the 4-H PVP club's community leader and has been in the role ever since.
While reflecting on her earlier days with 4-H, Keese remembered when most members were boys. Girls were not intentionally excluded at the time; clubs just didn't attract them. When girls eventually joined 4-H, it was a game changer.
“All of a sudden, the program shifted focus from solely agriculture and animals to include home economics like cooking and sewing,” Keese said. “Now, all my sons do the cooking in their homes. It's a good thing! Because we're moving away from traditional domestic duties, men and women are sharing roles, as they should be.”
The PVP 4-H club offers activities like archery, sailing, surfing and geocaching. “Everything we do is to help our youth be better as adults, out in the real world and in the workforce,” said Keese. “We're relying on the internet too much. Kids need to get outside and do things.”
Over the years, Keese has taken members – who range in age from 5 to 19 – on numerous hikes in places like Havasupai Indian Reservation and Mt. Whitney. She's taken them kayaking on the Colorado River and, these days, co-hosts old-fashioned card game nights on the weekends with other community members.
As a lifeguard and water safety instructor, Keese gives free training to interested 4-H members to become lifeguards. Training courses usually cost well over $200 per person. “If they're interested, I train them and they have another skill to use. And it benefits our club,” said Keese. “When we have pool parties or beach days, my kids are prepared to step in and help.”
‘She will help anyone and everyone at any time'
Ace Yeck, former president of the PVP 4-H club, met Keese 12 years ago and decided to become a 4-H member when he was in fourth grade, following a convincing conversation with her. “She just kept giving me opportunities,” said Yeck.
Currently a third-year undergraduate at Loyola Marymount University studying entrepreneurship, Yeck credits 4-H for preparing him for college. “I got all my community service and public speaking practice through 4-H. I remember doing beach clean-ups, feeding the homeless, helping out at the Christmas fair, and all kinds of events,” he shared.
During his years with 4-H, Yeck was elected to the state board as an ambassador before he went on to represent 4-H at the national level. “Dee encouraged me every time, so I kept going,” he said.
Keese admitted that her life is so full and fun because of 4-H. Her motivation stems from the growth and progress that her students experience. “My kids let me know when I've done something to impact their life. It keeps me motivated,” she said.
While thinking about the members she's had over the last 48 years, she couldn't help but stress how important it is that they feel safe. Keese recalls one student who is gay and had a challenging time getting his parents to understand because of religious and cultural barriers. “The family's priest called me and told me that this student felt like I was the only one who loved him,” she said.
“I can talk about Dee forever,” said Yeck. “One of her best qualities is that she will help anyone and everyone at any time. She wakes up at 5 a.m. and goes to bed at, like, 10 p.m. During that time, she's always helping people,” he added.
Because Keese comes from a different generation compared to the kids in her 4-H club, she attributes her successful impact to her ability to adapt. “If we want to keep kids in this, we've got to be flexible! And you've got to do things they like. We can't do things the way it's always been done before,” said Keese. “We have to be flexible.”
To Keese, 4-H is not just an opportunity to teach life skills or introduce kids to agriculture. It's a chance for them to build community.
“That's what I think my generation does well, having grown up in the '50s and '60s,” Keese said. “We're all about that communal living.”
All Systems Are 'Go'--and 'Green'--for UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day
All systems are "go"--and "green"--for the 12th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day on...
Wearing of the Green--Ready to greet the crowd at the Bohart Museum of Entomology on Feb. 18 are (from left) Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and a UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology, and entomology students and Bohart associates, Sol Wantz, president of the Entomology Club, and Allen Chew. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Thank You, 4-H Volunteers
Dear 4-H Volunteer,Last year during National Volunteer Month, you were in the beginning of so many...
The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others. DeAnn Hollis
National Volunteer Month: Gardeners with Heart – Community Connection Leaders
In April, we celebrate National Volunteer Month and Week (April 17-23), honoring all of the contributions that volunteers make in our communities. All week long, the UC Master Gardener Program will feature stories of exceptional volunteers, or Gardeners with Heart, making a difference in California's communities. This year we recognize our community connection leaders, harvest helpers, and environmental stewards. The passion and support of UC Master Gardener volunteers have been and continue to be essential in the program continuing to serve our mission.
Please join me as we celebrate and share our Gardeners with Heart and their remarkable stories, projects, and impact. Today, we celebrate Gardeners with Heart who are community connection leaders. These volunteers pursue and build relationships with new audiences or community partners for the UC Master Gardener Program, focusing on increasing program reach and being inclusive of new and more diverse audiences.
Heather Holland
UC Master Gardener volunteer Heather Holland has chaired the School Gardens Committee for seven years for the UC Master Gardener Program in San Diego County. This is no small task as school gardens pepper the landscape all over the county, with hundreds existing from heavily populated south county to the northernmost rural communities. Volunteers in San Diego County currently consult in approximately 350 schools, with more than 800 schools served over the past 20 years. It takes a lot of volunteers to cover all of these locations, Heather leads a committee of over 80 volunteers and inspires them to bring life and learning into each garden site.
Amazingly, Heather personally volunteers in 31 school gardens across the county. She recently learned of an opportunity to get sheds, tools, irrigation supplies, plants and other items donated. She efficiently organized schools that needed the items, made multiple trips to gather the donations, and quickly distributed these great new resources to the schools that needed them the most. “This isn't unusual for Heather. She is always the first to volunteer when someone needs help,” says fellow San Diego volunteer Devonna Hall.
In doing this important work, Heather fosters a close working relationship with all of the schools served by the UC Master Gardener volunteers in San Diego. Because of her efforts and those of her committee, schools in the county are supported and students are connected to food and gardening. Heather's words, “the natural world is the best teacher.” Thanks to this ingenuity, follow-through, and strong commitment, more schools and students are involved in growing food, eating it, and learning about climate change.
Ron Antone and Penni Parsons
Community events such as farmer's markets and Earth Day are held at this location; it serves as a community learning center for all ages. With construction complete, the UC Master Gardener propagation house will offer training for youth and adults on how to propagate plants sustainably. Farms of Amador, an organization Ron is closely connected to, will bring student field trips to the site to learn about propagation, supporting both skill and career development.
By creating this important space for gathering and education, Ron and Penni are inspiring a love for gardening throughout their community. Says Penni, “my love for gardening began when I was a little girl, my dad always had a garden. Knowing that I can plant a tiny seed and that in time it will grow and produce food is both nourishing my body and soul.”
To get their project off the ground, Ron served as construction lead for the project. He drew up plans, the budget, organized materials and worked with partners on permissions for the construction of the propagation house. Penni worked on the plant sale committee, providing leadership and sweat equity that raised more than $5,000 to fund the propagation house. She also built a team of volunteers to work with her and Ron, and together, they built an incredible space to bring the community together and support education.
Emy Shibukawa
Emy became a UC Master Gardener as a member of the first online class for San Bernardino County. She was an Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) class participant, and through the UC Master Gardener/Master Food Preserver/EFNEP partnership program, she was exposed to the excitement and opportunity of UC Master Gardener training.
Immediately upon starting her training, Emy saw what an important and needed service the program provides to the community. Today, Emy is instrumental in gathering community needs and marrying those needs with the services that Cooperative Extension programs provide. She has been particularly impactful in her local San Bernardino/Muscoy/Highland area, matching community needs with UC Master Gardener volunteers and projects.
One example is Operation New Hope, an organization dedicated to underserved youth, mentoring and educating them in life skills and pathways to success. Today, UC Master Gardener volunteers are working with Operation New Hope's San Bernardino location to add gardening spaces indoors and out, bringing in student and staff educational support from not only UC Master Gardeners but UC Master Food Preservers and EFNEP educators as well.
“In addition to projects [Emy] is bringing to the program to expand our outreach she supports our talks, our community and school garden committees and more!” says Maggie O'Neill, program coordinator. “Emy is very dedicated to bringing education and the University into our communities and neighborhoods. By leading this work connecting the community and the programs and services of Cooperative Extension, she is practicing the community-engaged extension work that we know is significant, impactful, and responsible for lasting change.”
Roxana Prince
Roxana Prince is relatively new to gardening and a great example of how you don't need to be a lifelong gardener to make a significant and impactful difference in your community through gardening education. “[Roxana] is an inspiration to others who might want to become a Master Gardener. They don't need to know it all or be lifelong gardeners to be an invaluable part of the UC Master Gardener team,” says Maggie O'Neill, program coordinator. “She is a sponge when it comes to learning and is great at seeking out reputable research to learn more when she has questions!” Roxana's inquisitive nature is one of the reasons she is so great at what she does in her volunteer role. She is relatable and shares her home gardening journey in a way that empowers and inspires everyone she connects with.
Roxana is bilingual and combined her commitment to community and education to get monthly UC Master Gardener classes offered in Spanish. She took the initiative, translating PowerPoints, marketing classes to Spanish-language audiences, giving talks, and answering questions. This impactful work has dramatically expanded the reach in a county with over 700,000 Spanish speakers. “She is a great example of not only a UC Master Gardener who only supports our regular activities throughout the county, but she also finds activities close to home in her community and brings what she has learned there,” says O'Neill.
The latter is one of many examples of Roxana's great work. Additional projects include working with the Mexican Consulate to add gardening classes taught in Spanish, working with Music Changing Lives Community Garden to create a food forest, and much more. Her efforts are grounded in supporting the community and successfully connecting UC Master Gardener outreach with those who might not otherwise have come across the program. “The UC Master Gardener class provided infinite possibilities and options for my family and me and provided another tool under my belt to better serve the community I work, and live in,” says Roxanna. “Especially my gente (people), the Spanish speaking community, where now I can share evidenced-based gardening tips in Spanish too!”
Barbara Kiernan
“Barbara Kiernan is organized, creative, energetic, and an effective leader. She is sought out for her community garden and composting skills, programming perspectives, and institutional knowledge embodying everything desirable in a great UC Master Gardener volunteer,” says advisor emeritus Janine Hasey. Barbara has a passion for teaching gardening skills for growing food and years of experience partnering with local agencies, schools, and organizations to share this knowledge with Sutter-Yuba residents. The list of projects Barbara has started or coordinated that benefit her community and the UC Master Gardener Program in Sutter-Yuba is impressively long.
For six years, Barbara taught vegetable gardening at Leo Chesney's woman's prison garden program. The women grew their own vegetables, taking pride in their accomplishments and finding purpose and recreation in the garden. The resulting fresh fruits and vegetables harvested saved the county thousands of dollars a year and provided a healthy and nutritious addition to the food being provided to the women. The project inspired one inmate to pursue UC Master Gardener training after release. Barbara has also played important connector and educator roles with the Yuba County Jail and Probation office, coordinating impactful gardening programs and connecting the UC Master Gardener Program with a traditionally underserved community.
Barbara plays a key leadership roles as a co-coordinator of community and community gardens outreach. In this role, Barbara coordinates with the city to create the Marysville Community Garden, where gardeners have access to raised beds, city water, on-site compost bins, gardening tools, and more. The garden was located close to a bus route and a bike trail, a thoughtful consideration that has enabled more community members to benefit from the garden. She was also instrumental in establishing the Artisan Community Garden located in Yuba City. All of Barbara's work serves to deepen local connections between the community and the programs offered by Cooperative Extension. Says Barbara, “being in the garden teaches us to be humble and learn.”
During National Volunteer Month (April 1 - 30), the UC Master Gardener Program celebrates its 6,216 incredible UC Master Gardener volunteers and their contributions to California communities. Throughout the month, we will feature stories of special volunteers or Gardeners with Heart from across the state who use their skills to improve program delivery. Gardeners with Heart are volunteers nominated by their local county leadership as community connection leaders, harvest helpers, and environmental stewards. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for National Volunteer Month and Week!
Special appreciation to UC Master Gardener Program coordinators Tracy Celio (Amador) and Maggie O'Neill (San Bernardino), advisor emeritus Janine Hasey (Sutter-Yuba) and volunteer leader Devonna Hall (San Diego) for their contributions to this story.
National Volunteer Month: Gardeners with Heart – Harvest Helpers (Part 2)
In April, we celebrate National Volunteer Month and Week (April 17-23), honoring all of the contributions that volunteers make in our communities. All week long, the UC Master Gardener Program will feature stories of exceptional volunteers, or Gardeners with Heart, making a difference in California. This year we recognize our community connection leaders, harvest helpers, and environmental stewards. The passion and support of UC Master Gardener volunteers have been and continue to be essential in the program continuing to serve our mission.
Please join me as we celebrate and share our Gardeners with Heart and their remarkable stories, projects, and impact. Today, we celebrate Gardeners with Heart, who are harvest helpers who empower their community to grow food at home, in school and community gardens—connecting gardeners with resources, knowledge, and support to have a successful food garden harvest and improved access to nutritious fresh produce.
“Becky Bednar is an example of a UC Master Gardener who fully embraces the program's mission, teaching others how to grow their own food,” says Maria Murrieta, program coordinator in San Luis Obispo. “She continually encourages others to go out to the community – to meet people where they are – to provide gardening information.”
Becky transferred to the UC Master Gardener Program of San Luis Obispo County from Los Angeles, where she was introduced to the ‘Grow LA Vegetable Garden Initiative' training. As a beginning gardener, she participated in the workshops, which inspired her to join the program and start teaching food gardening workshops.
Realizing there was a need in her new county, Becky led the effort to start a Victory Garden project in San Luis Obispo County. “The Victory Garden project is a way of bringing gardening to the community. I enjoy helping beginning gardeners learn the basics of edible gardening using hands-on methods. With a little encouragement and hand-holding, the Victory Gardeners become enthusiastic gardeners, hungry for more gardening knowledge,” explains Becky. “I enjoy hearing about their gardening projects and seeing their progress. We encourage participants to continue to work together informally by volunteering at the Victory Garden and donating harvest to the local food bank. We also hold monthly workshops with featured topics of the month as a way of staying in touch.”
After great success with the first Victory Garden location, Becky identified a second location in the town of Oceano to offer food gardening classes where the program had not previously had a presence. Thanks to Becky Bednar's positive energy and initiative, the UC Master Gardener Program has had an opportunity to improve and expand outreach to make resources accessible to more county residents.
Christy Gray joined the UC Master Gardener Program eager to learn more about gardening and make a difference in her community. Over the past five years, Christy has been involved in many important projects in San Bernardino County. “She was instrumental in establishing our Seed Library program,” says program coordinator Maggie O'Neill, “which has a major focus on education around growing food from seed and learning all about seed saving.” Since then, she has continued to support fellow UC Master Gardener volunteers and projects across the county, taking on a leadership role at many of the program's community gardens. Christy has long been a community garden advocate and supported several community gardens in the inner city San Bernardino area.
In addition to being a UC Master Gardener, Christy completed a farmer-training program run by a local community garden. She wants to take what she has learned to help the county residents address food insecurity by working with several community gardens to help expand their outreach and grow food on a larger scale that can be shared with people in need.
Christy has a passion for helping elevate others and is dedicated to helping teach people about growing their own food at home and in community gardens. She is amazing at highlighting not just the food growing aspects but also the mental health aspects of growing food and how places like community gardens can be a hub where building and collaboration can happen.
Tobi Brown
moved to Sonoma County after teaching in elementary and middle schools in Gilroy, Calif. for 30 years. She lives with her husband on a property in unincorporated Santa Rosa that the family lovingly calls ‘The Farmstead' where they grow vegetables, fruit trees and berries with their 12 laying hens and a border collie.
Tobi Brown joined the UC Master Gardener Program and quickly got involved in the leadership of its food gardening specialists project. Food gardening specialists provide advanced training in sustainable food gardening to UC Master Gardeners, host public education at several demonstration gardens, conduct workshops, and offer consultations to schools and community groups interested in food gardens across Sonoma County. The food gardening specialist group created a monthly Zoom event called ‘Veggie Happenings through Tobi's leadership.' Each installment is a one-hour video packed with useful, science-based, and timely information with demonstrations on current food gardening topics, all oriented around the seasons.
In her other role, Tobi collaborates with community partner Harvest for the Hungry, a non-profit that provides food for food pantries. “Tobi's knowledge and her eagerness to reach out and teach Sonoma gardeners to grow food is epic,” says UC Master Gardener Anne Haddix. “Her friendly guidance is always focused on the best sustainability practices.” We're grateful for the passion Tobi brings to all of her UC Master Gardener volunteer efforts. Her energy is infectious and results in new food gardeners far beyond Sonoma County!
Hillie Salo
Hillie Salo encourages every gardener she meets to “plant seed, save seed, share seed.” Hillie has focused her volunteer efforts with the UC Master Gardener Program in Santa Clara County on helping people learn how to grow their own food and save seeds. When the pandemic broke out, access to plants, seeds and gardening supplies became challenging to find. Inspired to help her neighbors, Hillie gathered seeds and put them in a box on her street to share. A neighbor's letter expressing their gratitude motivated Hillie to bring the idea of a more permanent seed share to Martial Cottle Park, a public park dedicated to showcasing local agriculture.
A Seed Share is a centralized location or place where the community can share seeds and gardening knowledge. In early 2021, UC Master Gardeners partnered with the Santa Clara County Parks, Slow Food South Bay, and the Boy Scouts of America to bring a Seed Share to Martial Cottle Park. Hilo shepherded the project for almost a year, seeking approval from the program's steering committee and Martial Cottle Park. “Sharing seeds is a wonderful opportunity for a community to build resilience around growing and sharing food. Sharing seeds builds diversity and adaptability into local seeds; strengths needed in the face of climate change,” says Hilo. “Seed Shares bring a risk-free opportunity to new and low-income gardeners.” With the success of the Seed Share in Martial Cottle Park, the goal now is to build a network of Seed Shares at all of the program's demonstration gardens.
It has been a year now since the Martial Cottle Park Seed Share has found a home greeting its visitors as they enter the UC Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. Halo is looking forward to repeat customers at the seed share, where those who had success last year are returning to both contribute and acquire something new. “More often than not in the modern garden, plants we grow are harvested at maturity and people never see the full life cycle of a
plant,” explains Hillie, “What does a plant that has gone to seed look like? You might be surprised. Seeds grown in the Full Life Cycle Garden find their way into the Seed Share and quarterly seed swaps, creating new opportunities.”
During National Volunteer Month (April 1 - 30), the UC Master Gardener Program celebrates its 6,216 incredible UC Master Gardener volunteers and their contributions to California communities. Throughout the month, we will feature stories of special volunteers or Gardeners with Heart from across the state who use their skills to improve program delivery. Gardeners with Heart are volunteers nominated by their local county leadership as community connection leaders, harvest helpers, and environmental stewards. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for National Volunteer Month and Week!
Special appreciation to UC Master Gardener Program coordinators Maria Murrieta(San Luis Obispo) and Maggie O'Neill (San Bernardino) and volunteer leader Hillie Salo (Santa Clara) for their contributions to this story.
To see additional Gardeners with Heart - Harvest Helpers, view blog post: National Volunteer Month: Gardeners with Heart – Harvest Helpers (Part 1)