Justin Schumann: Living to Serve
Justin Schumann, Raft River FFA
Each year our chapter has a community Christmas project. We involve the entire 7-12 grades at our school not just FFA members. We come up with a grocery list that would involve having a nice Christmas breakfast and dinner. We give each class the list and give them a deadline to complete the list. There is a reward for the class that completes it first. We also ask each FFA member to donate at least $3.
Our teacher, Mrs. Schumann talks to the teachers in both the elementary and high schools and local church and community leaders. She gathers information about who in our community might be in need. She does not share the information with us because our town is so small we don't want anyone to feel self-conscience especially if they go to school. Mrs. Schumann chooses 8 families to help with food. With the money raised by FFA members she chooses one family to help with gifts and food. She tells the members the gender and age of the family members and some of our members are lucky enough to go shopping for those gifts.
We all help wrap the gifts and sort the food to get it ready for delivery. Mrs. Schumann delivers the food and gifts by herself and tells people someone wanted them to have it, so in some cases they don't even know that it is from the FFA. Some of the food she delivers to local church leaders and they deliver it and even Mrs. Schumann doesn't know who it goes to. We've been doing this project for about 10 years. Over the years we have even had some of the elementary grades want to join in and help with food donation. Each year our community members and church leaders are extremely appreciative of this project and how it benefits people.