One of the many things I love about our community is how we all take care of each other.
We see this every day in so many ways: from our many nonprofits to the community assistance Facebook pages and the kindness of our neighbors.
Darrin, Nicole and I at Colorado State University Extension in La Plata County wanted to do a little something for our fellow community members who can use a little extra love this holiday season. So, we got with our community partner, Steamworks Brewing Co., organized some volunteers and requested assistance from our awesome 4-H members to once again provide 100 holiday meals.
This is the second year that the CSU Extension in La Plata County has offered holiday meals for 100 families, and we could not do it without the support of our community. We sent out a request to help provide money for the program and exceeded our goal of $4,000! This money will be used for supplies and all remaining money will be turned into gift cards to local grocery stores and given out with the meals.
We are also so lucky to be partnering with Steamworks, which will be cooking all of the meals! They have the know-how and skills to prepare 100 amazing, tasty meals with ease. Last year, we had a skeleton crew of Darrin, Nicole, Stella and a few others; it was quite the learning experience for all involved. We should have used my Uncle Bill Willson’s rule of seven: Before he starts a project, he calculates how long it will take him, then multiplies it by seven and that will be about how long it will really take to complete the project. So, as you can guess, we are super-excited to be partnering with Steamworks and using their talent, skills and expertise.
Our wonderful 4-H members are making 60 dozen Christmas cookies to be included with the holiday meals. Each of the 100 families will be given cookies and decorating supplies of icing and sprinkles. We are hoping that it will give each family a chance to have some creative fun and possibly begin a great holiday tradition.
We will be delivering meals on Tuesday with the help of volunteers. These volunteers will be driving all over La Plata County to deliver holiday cheer and make our world a little brighter.
I cannot begin to express the amount of love and appreciation I have for our community. It truly is a wonderful place to live. So, to all of you, thank you for all you do to make our community merry and bright. I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season!
Angela Fountain is the La Plata County 4-H youth development agent. Reach her at angela.fountain@co.laplata.co.us or 382-6460.
