Raised bed gardens, building picnic tables and benches, creating an outdoor classroom, and landscaping main streets are a few of the community projects that 4-H and FFA youth will be doing this spring as recipients of a Shaping Rural Missouri Grant. Fifty-two 4-H clubs and FFA chapters received a $500 Shaping Rural Missouri Grant to complete a community improvement project this year.
This is the tenth year of awarding Shaping Rural Missouri Grants. The program has awarded more than $180,000 back to rural Missouri.
“Our member-owners and staff live in Missouri rural communities, so community development is important to FCS Financial,” said David Janish, CEO, FCS Financial. “In 10 years, these grants enhanced our rural communities and allowed more than 380 youth organizations to work as a team to accomplish a worthy goal.”
In 2021, FCS Financial awarded the following 4-H clubs and FFA chapters a Shaping Rural Missouri grant in support of implementing the project listed:
Show-Me 4-H Club (Adair County) – Build raised beds to grow vegetables for a local food pantry.
Arapahoe 4-H Club (Andrew County) – Purchase and display flags at the cemetery for Memorial Day.
Be Bo Bouncers 4-H Club (Audrain County) – Clean up and repaint the building where the 4-H club meets.
Mexico FFA Chapter (Audrain County) – Build eight kid-size picnic tables for the Mexico Early Education Center.
Countyline 4-H Club (Bates County) – Construct a basketball goal at the local community park.
Bartlett Center 4-H Club (Buchanan County) – Build a pollinator garden at the Bartlett Center.
Buchanan County 4-H Council (Buchanan County) – Build a pollinator garden at the Buchanan County Extension Office.
Braymer FFA Chapter (Caldwell County) – Build and install pens at Braymer Junior Livestock Barn.
Polo FFA Chapter & Polo Trailblazers 4-H Club (Caldwell County) – Build shelves and storage at the local food pantry.
Salisbury FFA Chapter (Chariton County) – Build and install a sign for the new agriculture building.
Spokane FFA Chapter (Christian County) – Build raised beds to grow produce to provide to the community food pantry.
Willing Worker 4-H Club (Clark County) – Purchase and install baby changing stations and paper towel dispensers in the new bathroom at fairgrounds.
Denim & Dust 4-H Club (Dallas County) – Assist with improvements at the Dallas County Fairgrounds.
The Beef Kids (Dallas County) – Construct a permanent photo backdrop and repair bleachers at the Dallas County Fairgrounds.
Campbellton Livestock 4-H Club (Franklin County) – Landscape the new rural fire department building.
Woollam 4-H Club (Gasconade County) – Build four raised beds for the community garden.
Stanberry FFA Chapter (Gentry County) – Landscape downtown Stanberry.
Iron County 4-H Club Arcadia Valley (Iron County) – Renovate restrooms and picnic tables at the Lions Club Fairgrounds.
Viburnum Blue Jays 4-H Club (Iron County) – Assist in the construction of a community garden.
Healthy Living Teen Teacher 4-H Club (Jackson County) – Assist in the construction of a playground at Martin Luther King Junior Park.
Good Neighbors 4-H Club (Johnson County) – Landscape the Johnson County Fairgrounds building.
Mighty Mo 4-H Club & Napoleon Cloverleaf 4-H Club (Lafayette County) – Purchase and install poultry cages at the Lafayette County Fairgrounds.
Meadville FFA Chapter (Linn County) – Plant and grow pumpkins to donate to area youth groups.
Madison County 4-H Club (Madison County) – Landscape and build additional seating outside Madison County Senior Center.
McDonald County 4-H Club (McDonald County) – Build benches and purchase metal trashcans that youth will paint to beautify the fairgrounds.
Circle A 4-H Club (Miller County) – Landscape and install a sign in the local community.
Eugene FFA Chapter (Miller County) – Assist in renovating the Eugene Track.
Tuscumbia FFA Chapter (Miller County) – Build and install a miniature library at the entrance of the elementary school.
Jefferson FFA Chapter, North Nodaway FFA Chapter, Northeast Nodaway FFA Chapter, Northwest Technical FFA Chapter & South Nodaway FFA Chapter (Nodaway County) – Install fans in local community building.
Northeast Bluejays 4-H Club (Nodaway County) – Build flower boxes, purchase and paint metal trashcans, and landscape downtown Ravenwood.
West Nodaway FFC Chapter (Nodaway County) – Landscape West Nodaway school.
Linn 4-H Happy Helpers 4-H Club (Osage County) – Clean up and build a bench at the McGuire Park and build and install bird feeders at the local nursing home.
Osage County 4-H Club (Osage County) – Build raised beds to use in educational projects at the local library.
Prairie Ridge 4-H Club (Pettis County) – Build picnic tables, benches, and landscape Rangeline Presbyterian Church.
Higbee FFA Chapter (Randolph County) – Build picnic tables, benches, and landscape an outdoor classroom at Higbee School.
Reynolds County Dreammakers 4-H Club (Reynolds County) – Purchase and install bike racks at Brawley Park in Ellington, Missouri.
Boone Country 4-H Club (Saint Charles County) – Repair, paint and construct display risers for Kold Building.
North Shelby FFA Chapter (Shelby County) – Provide electrical repairs in the livestock barn at the local fairgrounds.
Newtown Community 4-H Club (Sullivan County) – Landscape and clean Harris Junction as well as repair the flagpole.
Backroads 4-H Club, Country Clovers 4-H Club & Vernon Count 4-H Council (Vernon County) – Purchase and install dividers in community building at the local fairgrounds.
Clayton 4-H Club (Vernon County) – Repair window and flooring at Clayton 4-H Building in Deerfield, Missouri.
Vernon County Horsemanship Club (Vernon County) – Improve and repair horse stalls at the Vernon County Fairgrounds.
Camp Branch 4-H Club (Warren County) – Install fans in the livestock building at Warren County Fairgrounds.
Wright County 4-H Club (Wright County) – Make additions to the community garden so it is easier for seniors to work in the garden.
