The Wonderful Mobilization of 4-H!

As part of the Well Connected Communities (WCC) program, Penn State Extension 4-H Educator Lauren Perez has been working collaboratively with community leaders, 4-H families from Southeast Pennsylvania and local 4-H youth to meet the food needs in Norris Square. 4-H is new to this dynamic, underserved, Latino neighborhood in Lower North Philadelphia. 

4-H families from PA counties surrounding Philadelphia were inspired to action after viewing photos of the recent looting and rioting in north and west Philadelphia. 4-H members engaged quickly in a card drive, sending messages of care. While that was happening, Extension staff mobilized to deliver 60 bagged lunches along with additional food items for the whole family to 4-H members in the Norris Square neighborhood. Staff have collected donations and continue to deliver food weekly with plans to establish a pop-up pantry when the Norris Square Community Alliance reopens its center in July.

The youth in Norris Square are new to 4-H – some are just starting with a summer program planned with our collaborator, Norris Square Community Alliance (NSCA). Other youth are members in the Health Rocks! in-school 4-H club at Conwell Middle School. All were hugely appreciative of the effort! They were impressed when Lauren told them, "This is 4-H. I say our community needs something and boom there it is!" They were amazed by the immediacy of our response. 4-H knows how to mobilize!

Kathy Garcia, youth educator with Norris Square Community Alliance says, "Thank you! Our NSCA teen program is all about the community. During this pandemic, we have all come together to continue to provide support to our families and the community. My heart smiles when I hear our youth say "thank you" for the groceries and the sandwiches we deliver each week. It is all about the youth, they are our future!"

In the days ahead, Penn State Extension staff will begin to strengthen our connection to Norris Square by providing 4-H Eight Essential Elements and Your Thoughts Matter professional development training virtually to our new volunteers. With support from the Penn State Center for Economic and Community Development, we will also begin to work with community leaders to create a neighborhood profile of Norris Square to assist with fundraising and needs assessment efforts.  Once the COVID-19 epidemic is behind us, we will apply the WCC funding to new youth community coordinator hire to assist with 4-H Club development.

Well-Connected Communities (WCC), a collaboration between 4-H National and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), aims to support coalition building in Norris Square, Aliquippa, Beaver County and Lebanon City in order to help set a direction for positive change around health challenges in each community. These challenges are defined using county health and census track data and conversations with community members and local leaders.