SMU In The Community

SMU Cares Donates to Feed Our Children

SMU Cares, a group of Spencer Municipal Utilities employees decided to get help from SMU employees last fall to help deliver the SMU telephone directories throughout Spencer and a few surrounding communities. The money earned by employees donating their time, was recently given to Feed Our Children here in Spencer. About Feed Our Children: Through contact with the public schools system here in Spencer, approximately 170 elementary age children have been identified as having a need of nourished food on the weekends. Through this program, a child will take home a bag filled with 4 individual meals and 2 snacks. By carrying it home in a bag that can be placed in their backpack they are not singled out from other children. When they get nourishment, they are healthier, they have better focus & study habits and are less likely to miss class.

A 4 week rotating menu has been created with food that can be easily eaten with or without heating up in a microwave, comes in single servings and is nutritious. Total cost runs on an average of $6 per week per child.

The bags are packed on Wednesday evenings and delivered to the schools on Friday mornings.

For this program to continue it takes volunteers, of which we have had several step up already, and continuous donations. A fund has been established at Living Word Church, 905 10^th Ave SE, Spencer IA 51301. Put Feed Our Children on the memo line.

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SMU and 4-H Bring Professional Mentors and Students Together for Filmmaking

For the third year, Spencer Municipal Utilities has partnered with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Clay County office to bring filmmaking to students.  This fun and educational week-long series was taught by Eric Meeter from SMU, and was offered to area youth in grades 4-12. 

“This workshop is a great way to get youth involved in a hands-on way with an interest that combines creative arts and science and technology. Thanks to SMU, students are able to access a specialized program that they may not have had access to in any other way,” said Jo Engel, ISU Extension Clay County Program Coordinator. 

The purpose of the class, which concluded this past Friday, was to introduce students to the world of film-making. In the class, youth learned basic terminology and common practices, as well as all the parts of making their own film. “Spencer Municipal Utilities was glad to partner with the ISU Extension  to provide students in the area a taste of what film-making is all about. It is fun to see how they took what they learned and made a finished product.” said Amanda Gloyd, SMU Marketing and Community Relations Manager.

As a part of the workshop participants will receive a copy of Adobe Premiere Elements 9 video-editing software, so they can continue to enhance the things they learned during the week long class. Along with the software they will also receive a copy of the raw-footage recorded during the class so they can re-edit to make a different version of the film they made as a team.

The film created by the class will be premiered at the Clay County Fair on Monday, September 10, at 7:00 P.M. in the 4-H Auditorium. The public is encouraged to attend.

For more information on ISU Extension and Outreach Clay County programming, or to become a 4-H Special Interest corporate partner, please call Bonnie Dalager, Program Director, at 712-262-2264 or email bdalager@iastate.edu.

Photo: Front Row L-R: Bailey Dickman, Ciara Holloway, Andrew Bare, Tom Hoerichs, Isaac Brockshus, Rachel Bozonie.  Back Row L-R: Ashley Peterson, Dan Hoerichs, Libby Hare, Miranda Heisinger, Ariel Bozonie, Eric Meeter.