ONTARIO, Ore. — With animals to show and projects to finish, 4-H’ers in Malheur County had one less thing to worry about this summer thanks to a community-driven "show" clothes donation effort.
“The community was amazing. It was a broad spectrum of community members — not just those involved in 4-H.”
“It’s important to look and feel prepared in a show ring,” said Bennett Johnson, who is interning this summer with the Oregon State University Extension Service in the county.
Many youths experience growth spurts as they advance in 4-H, making it difficult to find properly fitting show clothes from year to year, Johnson said. Traditional 4-H show clothes include long-sleeve button-down shirts, crisp blue jeans or pants and belts — all items that can become costly to replace annually.
To meet that need, Johnson organized a 2½-week show clothes drive that culminated during the county fair, which ran from late July through early August.
A strong community response
In just three weeks, Johnson created social media posts, designed posters and sent notifications to 4-H families and community members to launch the donation effort in Ontario.
“The community was amazing,” Johnson said. “It was a broad spectrum of community members — not just those involved in 4-H.”
Donations came not only from within Malheur County but also from other parts of Oregon.
“We had people come from across the state to come and help us,” Johnson said.
Distribution timed with fair
Donations were collected in early July, and distribution began July 22. Johnson hosted evening distribution hours at the Extension office over three days, inviting 4-H’ers to exchange older show clothes or pick up what they needed for fair.
Johnson knows firsthand how challenging it can be to find show clothes in rural areas. She attended Harper Charter School, in a town of about 200 people located 45 minutes west of Ontario.
“Show clothes are expensive and there are not a lot of places to get them in Malheur County,” Johnson said.
From 4-H member to Extension intern
Johnson was a 4-H member for 10 years, showing swine for six of those years. She also completed static projects and served as a junior 4-H leader.
The clothing drive served as Johnson’s internship project for OSU Extension’s Summer Internship Program. She began her internship in May and spent much of the summer supporting 4-H and preparing for the fair.
“The clothing drive and fair went hand in hand for me,” Johnson said.
Johnson will soon wrap up her internship and begin her sophomore year at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, where she will study psychology with a minor in leadership. She plans to pursue licensed mental health counseling with a focus on serving rural communities.
“I hope the show clothes drive becomes an annual event, even after I have finished my internship,” Johnson said.
