Helping neighbors in need

COVID-19 has left many North Carolinians hunkered down at home wondering when life will return to normal. But for Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T State University, the pandemic has been a call to action for a full-throttle effort to help limited-resource families and farmers withstand an unprecedented crisis.

Using the existing skills set of 4-H youths, leaders partnered with organizations across the state to identify needs and quickly respond to meet those needs.

Examples include:

A hands-to-serve face mask sewing project that provided necessary personal protection equipment to 212 grocery store employees, bus drivers and cafeteria workers
An initiative to provide video greetings and hand-written cards to senior-living centers to lift patients’ spirits
Food drives to help people who were struggling because of loss of income
Creating 410 starter garden kits that include an activity book about growing your own food for Spanish-speaking residents and limited-resource families

Creation of a video series to help people learn how to grow their own food

“We have relationships with organizations all across the state, and we’ve used that network to make sure North Carolinians have research-based information and resources to help them cope,” said Rosalind Dale, Extension administrator and associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.