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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFour communities comprise the Lincoln County FCE: Dellrose\/Hotrock, Molino, Mimosa, and McBurg. Despite its decreasing membership through the years, the club\u2019s unwavering commitment to the community and to preserving these skills is strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At its formation in 1912, FCE was known as the Home Demonstration Club. Later, the name became Extension Homemakers Club, an identity that remained unchanged from the mid-80s to 1994, when it became known as Family Community Education. Membership demographics also changed. The club\u2019s name and membership faces, like society, changed and evolved with the times; its mission, though, was rock solid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lincoln County FCE County Reporter Lisa Hoffman-Ritter said, \u201cRight now, the overwhelming majority of our members are older ladies; most are retired. We all have an overwhelming desire to help through our volunteer work, and the majority of our members are skilled crafters and outstanding cooks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
FCE Club meetings were a hub for rural women for decades. Fellowship, service, and education in home demonstration arts created a network outside of home and church life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s generations network differently. With so many activities for children and grandchildren, the time for club participation is scarce. Attracting new members is a top priority, as is bringing awareness to the club\u2019s mission and programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re not a politically affiliated organization. Our goal is to provide community pride and service through volunteerism, and we strive to recruit like-minded individuals who receive great joy in helping their fellow Lincoln Countians,\u201d expressed Hoffman-Ritter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FCE Club weaves Tennessee’s volunteer spirit throughout its programs and activities like beautiful stitches in a hand- made quilt. Its annual fundraisers help make a positive impact and warm the lives of others. Thanks to the club\u2019s efforts, local students who might otherwise miss the opportunity can attend 4-H Camp, and graduating seniors receive scholarship assistance to further their education. Over the past 10 years, more than 30 students have received scholarships through the program, and the group provided nearly 50 full or partial scholarships to 4-H Camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Annual fundraisers like the Sweetheart Bake Sale and the Casseroles & More Sale raise money for scholarships and summer camp financial assistance. These are opportunities for the community to invest in future generations. Individual clubs hold other fundraisers to support their other charitable contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur success can be attributed to the increased participation of our members, actively seeking out sponsors and customers, and the implementation of advertising campaigns through Bank of Lincoln County online, the Elk Valley Times, WYTM, club flyers, and word of mouth. Because we have held these two fundrais- ers every year for several years, Lincoln Countians have become accustomed to participating and supporting us, and we are truly thankful for their generosity,\u201d Hoffman-Ritter said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most club collaborations begin with requests from individuals through FCE members. Hoffman-Ritter said, \u201cWe provide help to animal shelters, food drives, toy drives, financial help to the Lincoln Coun- ty Museum and Warrior Exhibit, veteran’s homes and organizations, nursing homes, all the local schools and churches, Junior\u2019s House, and Crisis Pregnancy Center, just to name a few.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Club members assist the UT Extension Office by presenting programs such as \u201cCanning College,\u201d computer literacy classes, and sewing camps. The Cultural Arts Fair held each July ensures the preservation and continuity of the crafting skills demonstrated at the fair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWinners in each category advance to the regional competitions, and winners from regional competitions advance to state competitions,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are monetary prizes and bragging rights to those winners.\u201d It\u2019s a winning spirit that\u2019s alive and well in FCE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the landscape of community engagement has shifted, the spirit of FCE remains resolute. The club seeks new members who share a passion for service and skill preservation. Consider joining to connect with your neighbors, learn practical skills, and make a tangible difference in your community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lincoln County FCE lives plugged-in \u2014 plugged into the community\u2019s past, present, and future through all it does. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WE LIVE plugged-in, with the quality of our days dependent upon technology and connections. Notifications ding, DoorDash bells ring, and the microwave\u2019s timer calls \u201cdone.\u201d Apps promise everything we need on our doorsteps, from groceries to the latest gadgets. We fall asleep and wake up with our cell phones within reach, feeling out of sync […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":22316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/05\/FCE-2-1024x683.png\")
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