The Wisconsin FFA Day of Service takes place on the first day of the Wisconsin State FFA Convention. It is an opportunity for FFA Members to participate in various service projects around the Madison area.
This year there were 2 offsite options and one at the Alliant Energy Center where the convention is taking place. Students had the opportunity to help spread mulch at the UW Arboretum Longnecker Horticultural Gardens, organize the Goodman Community Center for their summer programming, or build frames for the Sleep in Heavenly peace organization at the Alliant Energy Center.
Beth Rieth is the Day of Service Coordinator and helped launch the program. She shared that this is the 12th year of the program. The feedback from the various programs they have helped has been positively. “Every year we have great groups of kids that go out and want to help, so the sites love us because we get a ton of things done when we are there” Beth said.
When asked what her greatest takeaway from this experience has been, Beth shared that hearing a student who had helped pack food at a service site reveal that the food they were packing went to the food pantry that their family used hit really hard. Speaking of the impact that the work they are doing has, Beth said, “I hope that the members see that it’s bigger than what they’re doing for a couple of hours.”
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