Vernon Parish 4-H members and volunteers set a new program record this week by packing 422 bags for the parish’s Christmas and Easter Backpack Projects. More than 30 students and nearly a dozen adult volunteers gathered at the old courthouse, where they handled setup, organized supplies, and worked through an assembly line to prepare the bags.

Participants arrived to an empty hallway at 4 p.m. and quickly set up tables, stocked materials, and organized the workspace. After packing was complete, the group shared pizza on the courthouse steps before sweeping floors, removing trash, and finishing cleanup. The entire effort wrapped up by 6:30 p.m.

The backpack project supports food security for youth in Vernon Parish. While the event served as the official collection point for club competition, families, churches, community groups, and organizations may continue contributing items for the ongoing effort.

Vernon Parish 4-H leaders noted that the students demonstrated the organization’s core values through their service, leadership, and teamwork during the event.