Helping Youth Reach Higher
UFA has a meaningful and longstanding relationship with 4-H Alberta, spanning more than 80 years. Throughout the decades UFA has funded many programs and projects with 4-H Alberta through our UFA Funds 4-H Program and other youth development programs. Last year we were proud to expand the program to 4-H Saskatchewan as well.
The positive impact that 4-H Alberta and 4-H Saskatchewan brings to our communities is beyond measure. Helping individuals, clubs and districts reach higher and achieve even more is very important to us and the members we serve.
Latest Updates
In 2022, 4-H Alberta Clubs & Districts shared in approximately $60,000 in club funding for projects and initiatives.
4-H provides lifelong leadership and learning skills to the youth in our communities and we are excited to once again support this grassroots growing and learning through our UFA Funds 4-H Alberta program. Over the years we have seen the positive and inspiring impact that 4-H Alberta brings to our communities and are proud to be able to help clubs and districts reach higher and achieve even more.
4-H Alberta "Round-Up"
We were able to fund a total of 200 Alberta 4-H Clubs this year. Please check back here often as we start sharing stories of the wonderful groups that were part of our UFA Funds 4-H Alberta program.
Consort Creative Hands
Small engines? Crafts? Shooting range? Woodworking? Small animals? Outdoor living? The Consort Creative Hands 4-H Alberta Club offers kids a wide range of projects to choose from. And who wouldn't want to take part in chicken agility?!
"The chickens were really interesting; they trained them to go through tunnels, walk on a leash and go up and down obstacles," says Sheri Kerr, 4-H Alberta Assistant Leader who brings as much enthusiasm with her as the kids.
Consort Creative Hands is considered a multi-project club whose origins go back 43 years. They currently have 11 members and three Cleaver Kids. Sheri is also the leader of the Cleavers, who are aged six to eight and not full members yet but introduced to 4-H Alberta with their own programs.
UFA Funds 4-H Alberta
Consort Creative Hands has taken advantage of the UFA Funds 4-H Alberta funding for the last two years, receiving $300 each year. This year, they put their money towards their awards which included plaques, ribbons and half of the hall rental for their ceremony.
"Any funding we receive is so beneficial and we definitely use it to our advantage," says Sheri. "We don't do a lot of fundraising as a club, and everything sure helps. UFA has always been a huge supporter of 4-H as long as I can remember."
In fact, a lot of their project leaders will cover some of the costs associated with their projects, making it affordable for the 4-H Alberta families. There can still be associated costs with the material though, and families will support the local UFA by buying things like paint and lumber for their respective projects.
"I love hearing feedback like this," says Kim MacDonald, Manager, Community Investment, for UFA. "It is important to us as a co-operative to support the communities where we live and work. To be able to assist these Alberta Clubs in a small way means as much to us as it does to them."
The 2022 UFA Funds 4-H Alberta Program has shared approximately $60,000 in support this year.
Highway Clean-up
The largest fundraiser that Consort Creative Hands does undertake is a highway clean-up program that Alberta Transportation manages. It is for any type of group, all across Alberta, that wants to help clean up the highways and protect the environment. The Consort club will usually tackle about 11 kms of roadway and raised about $1,000 this year. As a club, they decided with everything going on in Ukraine, they would donate a certain percentage, which ended up being a $364 to the Red Cross Ukraine Relief Fund.
Kim also headed east to Consort to take part in the highway clean-up with the club, armed with some UFA reflective backpacks full of road snacks for the kids.
Consort Creative Hands highway clean-up crew gather before heading out to cover 11 kms of highway. Karen Allan, Manager, UFA Corporate Communications and Kim MacDonald, Manager, UFA Community Investment also joined in for the day of clean-up.
Congratulations to Consort Creative Hands for a successful 4-H Alberta season and thank you for sharing a little bit about your club with us.
