National 4-H Council announced that Olivia Hall of Litchfield County is a runner up for the 2022 4-H Youth in Action Award for Healthy Living. Hall is recognized nationally for her commitment to addressing food insecurity in her community and surrounding areas.
Already aware of the food insecurity issues in her community, Hall noticed how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these needs further. School and business closures caused dairy farmers to dump their now-excessive milk supplies. The resourcefulness and leadership skills gained through 4-H helped motivate Hall to create “Operation Community Impact,” a bi-weekly milk delivery service to food insecure families in her county and across her state. She has taken on the responsibility of recruiting volunteers, loading and delivering pallets of dairy products, and raising money to continue supporting this project further.
Still planning to continue her project from college, Hall is a freshman at University of New Haven studying Criminal Justice.
The 4-H Youth in Action Awards began in 2010 to recognize 4-H’ers who have overcome challenges and used the knowledge they gained in 4-H to create a lasting impact in their community.
About 4-H Nationally
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA, and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3,000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.