J. Sprain, UF/IFAS Extension, Osceola County, Kissimmee, FL.
K. Stump, UF/IFAS Extension, Osceola County, Kissimmee, FL.
Situation: 4-H has a long history of members and volunteers stepping up in times of need to serve their communities. We are currently living in one of these times. In many COVID-19 units, along with others, medical personnel are required to cover their heads/hair. The best way to do this is by wearing a surgical scrub cap. Many hospitals, however, were running out of disposable scrub caps, and many healthcare professionals did not own one. This project was created to help give back to our healthcare workers by teaching families how to create surgical caps with buttons to donate to healthcare industry. Methods: A call to action was made to all Osceola County 4-H Families. This challenged them give back to their community by participating in this project. A pattern/instructions and a how-to-video were created to aid in the creation of surgical caps with buttons. Results: As a result of this project, 25 families from all over Central Florida, created and donated 250 surgical caps with buttons to healthcare professionals in need. Many families who participated in this project were not involved in 4-H. Five of these families joined their local 4-H programs after participating in the project. In addition, every healthcare worker who received a surgical cap was shown appreciation by 4-H families and the 4-H program. Conclusion: 4-H has always stepped up to serve their communities in times of need. This is still true today. This project has shown the power of what 4-H can do to alleviate community needs. More family-based projects will be developed in the future as community needs change.