FFA 'Seeds of Hope' campaign flourishes
By Zack Ruesler, posted 12/12/05

“It is hard to realize that everything you have known is now gone. It still doesn’t seem real that it happened to me,” said Steven Willet, an FFA member from the Mississippi State Association who was affected by Hurricane Katrina. 

More than 5,000 FFA members, 120 FFA chapters and schools, and an estimated 150 agricultural education teachers were affected by the hurricane, whether in damage done to them personally or to their school districts. The FFA organization realized what this could mean for many students’ opportunities in agricultural education, so they launched the Seeds of Hope campaign to help restore students, teachers and their families back to the life they once enjoyed.

The FFA describes Seeds of Hope as “a fundraising campaign to rebuild agricultural education and FFA programs in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida hit hard by Katrina.”

Once the National FFA Organization called on its member to aid their fellow students, they answered by raising$528,024, and the money is still coming in. This money is to be administered through a grant program. Schools and chapters affected by the hurricane will be able to apply, and then the National Office will determine what amount of money will be awarded to that specific school.

“It is nice to know that I will be able to continue FFA,” Steven said. “It is something I really enjoy, and I take pride in my membership.”

The Missouri FFA Association also has been taking an active part in the Hurricane relief effort. Many chapters across the state have donated and continue to donate money to Seeds of Hope.

“Almost every chapter that I visited in Missouri was discussing how to get involved in the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts,” said Justine Sterling, former Central Region national vice president, following a greenhand speech tour in Missouri. “At every chapter meeting that I mentioned the Seeds of Hope campaign, they jumped on board and voted to participate in it.”

“Our Association has stepped up to the challenge made by the National FFA, but we are not going to stop there,” said Zach Kinne, current Missouri FFA president. “We realize that eventually people are going to stop donating, and that is going to be when they need money the most. At the present time, the Missouri FFA is in the process of creating a standardized fundraiser for all chapters to participate in.”

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