A fun volunteer experience led former Michigan FFA member Addy Stuever to address a need within her community and recognize her true passion for serving others.
“My friends and I were handing out items at a local food pantry and noticed the items weren’t the same quality and nutritional value as what we were used to eating at our own dinner tables,” Stuever says. “As farm kids with livestock in our barns, we decided to use what we had available to make a difference.”
Stuever and her friends, all members of the Cass City FFA Chapter in Cass City, Mich., received a $2,500 Living to Serve Grant through the National FFA Organization. This grant, she says, led to the creation of Meating the Need for Our Village, a service project that provides locally raised meat and additional food items to community members. Today, the value of this project’s donations and services exceed $65,000.
“At the time, it never felt like an active decision to commit our lives to service,” Stuever says. “Over time, we’ve realized complex factors are at play and ultimately developed a passion and work ethic to address them. I know it has shaped us all in different ways.”
Making Good Things Happen
Meating the Need for Our Village inspired Stuever to become a more servant-hearted leader and shaped her desire to collaborate other change agents at the local, state, national and international levels. In October 2022, Stuever attended the Committee on World Food Security event in Rome, Italy. Through this experience, she represented the United States, interacted with both young people and international leaders, and engaged in conversation about important agricultural topics.
After graduating from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and sustainability and a minor in leadership and integrated learning, Stuever plans to attend Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and become a pastor.
“I want to continue working with other movers and shakers to make good things happen,” Stuever says. Through all she has seen and done, Stuever has learned the value in seizing opportunities right in front of her and encourages other FFA members to do the same.
“As young people, we are often told we are the future generation of change makers,” Stuever says. “I want us all to realize what we are capable of doing right now.”
To learn more, follow along with Meating the Need for Our Village on Instagram and Facebook.
