Children’s Champions: Four Award Nominees From North Escambia

March 26, 2009

There are four nominees from North Escambia for the Children’s Champions of Northwest Florida awards.

Since 2003, has honored local groups and residents that have demonstrated service and advocacy on behalf of children in the area.

kidschampions.jpgThe seventh annual Children’s Champions Awards will be presented Friday morning at a Pensacola breakfast to honor individuals, organizations, businesses and youth that worked on behalf of children during 2008.

From North Escambia, the nominees are the Escambia County Farm Bureau from Molino, Adaem Estes from Molino, Escambia County Home Community Education from Cantonment and the Teaspoon Foundation from Century.

The following information on each nominee is taken from their nomination forms:

Escambia County Farm Bureau

Escambia County Farm Bureau has been instrumental through the years in youth development in: 4-H, FFA and Escambia County Schools. Escambia County Farm Bureau sponsors 4-Her of the Month and Year, livestock shows, natural resource programs and camps, public speaking programs, fairs, and AG Literacy in the Classroom (involving four schools and 250 students), Fall Harvest Day (nine schools and 500 students) and Food for America (12 schools and 1000 students). Farm Bureau is a major supporter of 4-H on the county and state levels.

The Escambia County Farm Bureau had contributed financially for the 4-Her of the Year Award for the past 50 years. The recognition starts with the 4-Her of the month recognized in the monthly 4-H newsletter with recognition of the top two Senior 4-Hers for leadership, citizenship, and project development. Monetary contributions for Fall Harvest Days – books for schools, AG in the Classroom and AG Literacy – books and programs, and Food for America – providing milk for over 1000 students. Also includes volunteering and support of local livestock shows, fair, exhibits and Ag in the Classroom.

Escambia County Farm Bureau is also responsible for the participation and coordination for the AG in the Classroom and AG Literacy Program, Fall Harvest Days, and Food for American programs. The 4-Hers of the Year Award is a very coveted award and a top award for Escambia County 4-H recognition. The desire of 4-H members to receive this award from Farm Bureau starts when they join 4-H as a major goal to achieve during their 4-H career.

Adam Estes

Adam Estes, member of the Escambia County 4-H, volunteers his time with the 4-H, which in turn serves many other community and non-profit organizations. Adam is also an Escambia County volunteer fireman.

Adam serves on two state 4-H committees and is district president. He has been involved in the steer meat project, Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, Food for America, Operation Military Kids, Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Florida, Lights of Hope Campaign and is a shooting instructor. He has applied for, and received numerous grants for the 4-H program. Adam is one of the teens of the first CERT team in Florida and is actively learning skills to help protect his community in the case of a natural disaster. These important skills filter over in the training he has received while becoming a volunteer fireman for Escambia County.

Adam learned many valuable lessons while raising his first steer for the Pensacola Interstate Fair in 2006. When it came to his 2007 steer he decided that he wanted to do it a little different. His decision started with a single idea of donating the meat of his steer to help other youth in the Escambia County Area. This idea evolved into a large project. Normally a steer project is completed through the course of a year by selecting a steer, halter breaking, daily feed care, grooming, clipping, and then showing and selling the steer. After the expense of the steer, feed and equipment, once the steer is sold there is profit for the youth. By donating his steer to the Ronald McDonald House, Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, and The Baptist Children’s Home, Adam knew that there was not much possibility for any profit.

While watching TV Adam saw a program on farm safety. He came up with the idea that Farm Safety 4 Just Kids would be a good program for our 4-H club. The 4-H club received a community pride grant to help fund the program. Adam leads the team of youth that go into the local schools to share the safety message. In March 2007 Adam and his team participated in the Food for America program at Northview High School. They brought the ATV and helmet safety program to over 500 youth from area schools.

Escambia County Home Community Education

Escambia County Home Community Education (HCE) has been instrumental through the years in youth development in the community, schools, day care centers, hospitals, community outreach and 4-H youth programs. In the past year HCE has donated 30,000 hours of community service at a value of $17.38 per volunteer hours for a total of $521,400.00. Several of their projects included Caps for Preemies at Sacred Heart Hospital, Ronald McDonald House Shower, Foster Care Program, “Ouch Dolls” for Health Department and local dentist and doctor’s offices, Sleeping Bags for the Homeless, ARC educational programs and Christmas Program for handicapped, UF Extension and 4-H programs, and a recycling program for St Judes Hospital. Contributions include monetary contributions for the 4-H Summer Camp Scholarships.

Escambia County Home and Community Education has provided leadership and motivation to club members from nine HCE clubs throughout Escambia County. They have been instrumental in planning, coordinating, and implementing programs in many areas to reach over 3,000 youth. Their dedication to outreach to the community in Escambia County shows diversity in programming and commitment.

Teaspoon Foundation

The Teaspoon Foundation invests in young people. The Teaspoon Foundation is involved in the investigation, locating, authenticating and preserving the artifacts, history, and heritage of Teaspoon as a Pre-Revolutionary period; facilitating and promoting cultural and heritage education in North Escambia County; and improving the quality of life in North Escambia County, especially the Century area.

The Teaspoon Foundation is involved with the Early Learning Coalition of Florida to put free books into the hands of children between the ages of zero and five through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. They found a way to completely sponsor every single child in Century to have these free books delivered right to their doorstep until they start kindergarten.

The group is involved in the Teaspoon Heritage Society where Children’s Heritage Parties are held where the experiences of the elderly are told to children in a “pizza party setting” and video taped during the process. They also host The Imagination Library Reading Party – a monthly reading party where the children bring their favorite Imagination Library books to a party and volunteers read to them, while their parents watch and learn how to read to and engage children in the learning to read process.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News