By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
The Tucker County Commission signed a proclamation establishing Community Education Service Week on May 8th. The Proclamation followed an address to the Commission from Cindy Harsh on behalf of the West Virginia Community Educational Outreach Services. “Next week is CEOS week,” Harsh said, “and CEOS is Community Educational Outreach Services and in this community we have several of those ladies.”
CEOS is a volunteer organization, according to Harsh. The organization, according the WVU Extension site, lists the organization as a voluntary nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the WVU Extension. The Extension site also lists the organization as one of the largest in the nation. “A lot of people don’t understand unless you say we’re the old homemakers and then they would understand what the old homemakers or the farmers are,” Harsh said.
According to Harsh and the WVU Extension site, the organization has donated over 5.6 million service hours in the state. “Over the past decade West Virginia CEOS members performed more than 5.6 million hours of service in their communities and their needs,” Harsh said. “We count our hours because every hour that we submit, when it goes on to…Charleston and they are sending money back, they’re going to see what clubs are busy across the State of West Virginia and they are going to see the need for the money.”
The WVU Extension lists the program as emphasizing preserving the environment, building family strengths and increasing awareness of our global interdependence. The WVU Extension also states that members help to strengthen individuals, families and communities across the State. The first club was established as a Farm Women’s Club in 1914, according to the WVU Extension and currently contains approximately 2,000 members across the State.
According to Harsh, there are three clubs in Tucker County. “Our three clubs here in Tucker County are very busy,” Harsh said.
Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau addressed the group on behalf of the Commission to thank them for their service to the Tucker County Community. “To give all the other things that you ladies give up to help our community, if more people were like you ladies, it would be a wonderful thing.”
For more information on the CEOS or how to join, contact the WVU Extension Family and Community Development Program online at extension.wvu.edu/community-educational-outreach-service or call 304-293-6967.
The next meeting of the Tucker County Commission will be held May 22nd at 6 p.m. at the Tucker County Courthouse Old Courtroom in Parsons.
