Chloe Walton and Foster Joy: How FFA is Giving Back to the Community Through Passion Projects
During the holiday season, many children around the world are blessed with gifts, a house full of loving family, the warmth of a good meal, and the excitement of the new year. On the other hand, there are children who go without—no warm clothes to wear in the cold, no new gifts to look forward to, no family to snuggle up with by the fire, and no hope for the future and the many years to come. Unfortunately, this is all too common, and it happens globally, nationwide, and even locally.
At Farmington High School, many clubs and organizations are working to give back to the community, and to those children who lack holiday spirit and the means to have a fulfilling Christmas or new year. Every year, Future Farmers of America, or FFA, encourages members to work on passion projects, helping others in the Farmington community and beyond. Renee Baird, an FFA advisor, believes that these passion projects are vital to the club and community.
“We started doing passion projects a few years ago,” said Baird. “Each year, each officer chooses a passion project. They can create an entirely new project or they can focus on an activity that has been done in the past. We ask the officers to just make sure it is something they are passionate about.”
Over the years, FFA officers have taken on several different projects. From a school-wide petting zoo to welding efforts, FFA has done it all.
“Some past projects include the Petting Zoo, Ag Education on the Move, The SFC Fair Information and Welding Projects,” explained Baird. “The Petting Zoo was started to help a family at the high school in need, and the money we raise every year goes back into the community either directly to a family in need or to an organization that helps others like Seasons of Hope.”
In addition to the petting zoo, FFA sponsors Ag Education on the Move, supporting younger students throughout the district in their agricultural education. With the St. Francois County Fair, a past FFA student worked to inform students about the event. With this, the welding project was born.
“The student who began the SFC Fair Information project saw a need to get more information to students who are interested in participating in the local fair,” said Baird. “The fair was in need of some sheep and goat panels, so a student created the welding project where students built and continue to maintain 120 sheep and goat panels that are used every year at the fair.”
During this holiday season, senior Chloe Walton, an FFA officer, worked to gather donations for children during this season through a program started by a former FFA officer called Foster Joy.
Walton asked for items like new clothes, new toys, and hygiene products. To bring smiles to kids in need, Walton plans to donate these items to foster children through the CASA House organization in Farmington. Court Appointed Special Advocates (The CASA House), a volunteer program, works with children who have been removed from their homes, and they garner a positive environment for the children to thrive, even in the face of uncertainty. Many of the children CASA House supports are neglected, abused, or struggle with poor home lives.
“The items donated to the CASA House are important because they meet the immediate needs of children in foster care,” Walton said. “These items help provide a sense of comfort, dignity, and normalcy for foster children while they wait to be placed in a safe and permanent home.”
Walton gathered donations from people all over the Farmington community. She worked with other clubs, like National Honor Society, to get members to donate new products for the children in need. All donations will be packed and given to foster children in early February. To spread the word, Walton worked within the FFA team to encourage members to donate what they could.
“I began gathering donations by creating and sharing a flyer through our FFA social media platforms to spread awareness about the donation drive,” Walton said. “I consistently reshared the information to reach a wider audience and remind members to participate. I also personally encouraged involvement by asking every member at our FFA December meeting to bring in donation items.”
Walton is passionate about FFA and helping others, and it means a lot to her. This passion project has inspired Walton to keep others in mind and always think about their needs. FFA has helped her grow as a person and strive to always improve.
“Through FFA, I have stepped outside of my comfort zone, gained confidence, and learned valuable life skills,” said Walton. “FFA has taught me what it truly means to be a leader and how to positively impact those around me.”
With the Foster Joy Project, Walton believes that the effort is significant, and helps many children around the community. She was even able to learn more about CASA’s mission, and gained further knowledge about how much this project means to kids. Visiting the CASA facility opened Walton’s eyes to the realities of the system, and made her more aware of their lives. Giving back to these children is at the heart of this project.
“Through this project, I had the opportunity to speak with one of the leaders at the CASA House and personally visit the facility, which gave me a deeper understanding of their mission and impact.”
In the state of Missouri, Walton explained that there are over 11,000 children currently in the foster care system. With that, Walton truly feels for these children, and works to do what she can to provide for them, even if just during the holiday season. Knowing this, it inspired her to become a helping hand.
“Giving back to the CASA House means making a meaningful difference in the lives of foster children who may not always have someone advocating for them,” said Walton. “Knowing that my efforts and donations can help provide comfort, stability, and support during a difficult time in a child’s life makes this project especially meaningful to me.”
Walton’s projects go beyond collecting donations and packing gifts for foster children in need. This project brings hope and happiness to many, making them feel optimistic, like they have someone advocating for them, rooting for them. Walton’s efforts do not go unnoticed, and her effort has been widely recognized by students all across FHS and throughout the community.
“The outcome has been very successful with more donations to be accepted over the next month,” Walton added. “We collected a variety of essential items, and the donations are currently being sorted and organized. Each item will be packed into labeled totes with the correct descriptions to ensure they are easy to distribute and meet the needs of foster children through the CASA House.”
If you’d like to support the CASA House or the Foster Joy effort, please contact Chloe Walton. All donations of the items mentioned above need to be turned into Walton by Feb. 2, 2026.
