Posted on March 31, 2011 at 1:21 PM by Global Reach
Helen Christiansen is a retired leader (if you really ever retire in 4-H) and volunteer with the Crescent Innovators 4-H Club. Helen has always found activities for the club to do that were fun, exciting, and educational all at the same time. Whenever there was a new member, she was always there to greet and talk to them and make them feel welcome.
She is no stranger to 4-H. Helen is married to Kenneth Christiansen and has two sons, Sutton and Dusty. The boys were both very involved in the Crescent Bobcats and showed horses and dogs. When her grandkids, Amy and Austin, joined 4-H she went with them to see what went on. Three years later a fifty-year club was on the verge of folding, so Helen stepped in to take the lead.
Helen helped a club go from minimal participation to having over 50 members in just a few short years. While she was a leader, she started a newsletter to inform members of upcoming events, organized a club workshop on record books, helped her club organize a Chemo Cap service project, and run the local fair pop stand. Because of her leadership and organization, her club won Outstanding Club of the Year in 2003.
Helen is not just active at the club level. She came into the Extension Office one day and asked if she could organize a fund-raiser for the 4-H program. Helen rallied her club and organized one of the most successful fund-raisers in West Pottawattamie, raising $1800.00. Not only does she get excited about her own club, she was able to raise excitement (and money) for the entire 4-H program!
To us there will always be five “H’s” – Head, Heart, Hands, and Helen!
Categories: 2005, Pottawattamie (West)
