On October 6, members of the Paoli FFA spent their day creating warm lunches to distribute to farmers working hard in their fields. Unfortunately, rainy weather conditions made it difficult to find any farmers currently working, but members of the project still found ways to show their appreciation.
FFA Advisor Samantha Goen organized the event, and members set off after school to deliver these lunches despite the rainy day. Eager to come up with a quick solution to this inconvenience, members agreed to place the warm lunches on the farmers’ doorsteps and ring their doorbells.
“Fall harvest season is one of the busiest times of the year for farmers, and we wanted to show our appreciation by providing a warm meal and a simple ‘thank you’ for all they do,” said Goen.
Paoli FFA decided to do this project as a way to give back to the local farmers and community members who work hard every day to support agriculture. The funds to purchase the meal items came from the Ag Literacy Grant, sponsored by the Indiana Farm Bureau, which Goen applied for in September. The grant provided Paoli FFA with $ 1,000 in funds to support future projects. The grant alone helped cover the costs of food, packaging, and supplies, allowing Paoli FFA to provide high-quality meals at no cost to the farmers.
Members of the Paoli FFA prepared a total of 75 lunches to distribute to farmers, reaching 60 farmers in the process. Some farmers reached out with feedback, expressing their gratitude to the members.
“This was a pleasant surprise from the Paoli FFA! Much appreciated,” said Nicole Jones, one of the farmers, in a post on Facebook.
Another farmer, Douglas Lee Hackney, posted on his Facebook thanking both the Paoli FFA and the Farm Bureau for lunch.
The goal of this project was to strengthen community ties and teach FFA members the importance of service and leadership through action. Supporting their local farmers gave them a sense of being seen, heard, and appreciated, while encouraging members to become active leaders and make a positive impact within their communities. This project directly ties into the Paoli FFA motto: Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, and Living to Serve.
“This project has become a meaningful tradition that embodies what FFA stands for: service, leadership, and community,” said Goen.
Goen hopes her members learn to understand the importance of service and gratitude through hands-on involvement in their community.
“We wanted to connect our school and Paoli FFA with the community to show we care. That is the best thing to do to show appreciation for all they do for our community,” said Graydan Padgett, Secretary of Paoli FFA.
The members take two mini buses, driven by Samantha Goen and Cory Scott, and distribute the lunches evenly among them. From here, they go their separate ways and race each other to see who can distribute all their lunches the fastest. The winner of the race this year was Samantha Goen’s bus.
“Helping out in the community and winning the race was a great way to spend a rainy day,” said Paoli FFA Treasurer, sophomore Liam Bissonnette.
All thanks to the project, Paoli FFA members had the opportunity to experience firsthand the impact of giving back and realize the hard work that comes with agriculture outside of the classroom.
Up next, Paoli FFA will host a Veterans’ Day breakfast for veterans and their families. The breakfast will be held on November 11, in room 220.
