Kimberly McClellan FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12/19/22

Youth Programs Assistant

Utah County Extension & 4-H
Office: (385) 268-6531
Cell : (801)664-2973
Email : 1imberly.mcclellan@usu.edu

Utah County 4-H Helps Kids In Need this Holiday Season,

Donates 200 Meal Kits to Nebo School District

The Utah County 4-H Livestock Ambassadors assemble meal kits for kids in need at the Spanish Fork Fair Grounds on Monday,
December 12. Photo courtesy of Corianne Topham.

SPANISH FORK, Utah, December 19, 2022 - - There are 1,200 students in the Nebo School District who
are at risk of experiencing food insecurity, according to Monica Hullinger, a Nebo School District social
worker. For these students, the meals they eat at school might be their only meals. When school is out
for Christmas break, they often go without. To ensure that these students would not go hungry over the
holidays, the Utah County 4-H Livestock Ambassadors launched their project, Meal Kits for Kids, in
November.

With help from fellow 4-H members and their families, the team of ambassadors assembled and
delivered over 200 meal kits to the school district for students in need. Instead of providing students
with quick-fix meals such as Raman noodles and mac and cheese, they developed their own recipes for
more filling, nutritious meals: eight-can soup, spaghetti, and chicken and rice casserole. Each kit contains
one of the recipes and the necessary ingredients.

Utah County 4-H Livestock Program Coordinator Corianne Topham, who oversees the ambassador
program said, “The need really is right in front of us. There are kids all over the world that are hungry,
but really, there are kids that are going to school with our 4-Hers and possibly some of our 4-Hers that
are hungry at home. The ambassadors saw that [need] and wanted to help.”

Reaching out to other 4-H members and the community, the team of ambassadors received more than
$2,000 in donations to buy food the make the kits, as well as food items.

On Dec 12, the ambassadors held a meal kit assembly night at the Spanish Fork Fair Grounds, where
they worked alongside 30 other 4-Her’s and their families to assemble the kits. A few days later, Topham
and the ambassadors personally delivered them to Nebo’s Cupboard and Dragon Pantry, located at
Landmark High School in Spanish Fork. The team helped make space for all the food while learning more
about the pantry.

At the pantry, students and their families can get food, school supplies, hygiene supplies, and clothes
when in need, no questions asked. The Nebo School District simply asks that they pay it forward one day
when they are able.

Sydney Jensen, one of the eight livestock ambassadors, said it was a rewarding and humbling
experience: “It was a great reminder to be grateful for what you already have. I find myself wanting new
things when other people just want food or clothes.”

About 4-H: 4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with
caring adults. 4-H is the nation’s largest Positive Youth Development Program. 4-H focuses on learning
by doing. Through our unique partnership with USU Extension we are able to provide opportunities for
youth throughout Utah.

About USU Extension: With offices covering Utah's 29 counties, Utah State University Extension
provides research-based community education, resources and programs in the areas of agriculture and
natural resources; business and community; food, health, and wellness; home, finance, and
relationships; and 4-H and youth.

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