Hausserman named outstanding 4-H alumnus
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EmailIonia County 4-H alumnus Jon D. Hausserman, of Fenwick, was among 12 4-H alumni inducted into the 2022 class of the Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society at a ceremony on Sept. 30.
Ionia County 4-H alumnus Jon D. Hausserman, of Fenwick, is among 12 4-H alumni inducted into the 2022 class of the Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society. Hausserman was recognized on Sept. 30, during the Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration hosted by Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Foundation in East Lansing.
The Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society honors former Michigan 4-H members whose professional leadership and community service reflect the ultimate outcome of 4-H membership – extraordinary use of an individual’s head, heart, hands and health to make communities, the country and the world better places in which to live. This recognition is provided by Michigan 4-H Youth Development with support from the Michigan 4-H Foundation.
Hausserman has committed his life to bettering the lives of others. For the past 25 years, he has been a philanthropic entrepreneur, volunteering full-time with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and Mercy Ships, raising his own funds to support his work. Through his service, Hausserman has provided medical care on ships and at land-based clinics, and has participated in community development projects in Belize, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. He has handled in-country logistics and worked with local leaders and businesses, supported homeless outreach programs, built latrines, provided care for low-income older adults, volunteered with orphanages, and assisted at rehabilitation centers.
Hausserman served as a relief coordinator in Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and volunteers in his southern California community through Project Care. With Project Care, Hausserman provides plumbing and basic electrical work, painting, help with yard work, and companionship to older adults in his area who have low incomes and limited mobility. Ultimately, the cornerstone of Hausserman’s success has been his service to communities throughout the world. People who know him say that his biggest impact has been the relief of suffering here in the U.S. and around the globe.
“Through 4-H, you get to be around a diverse group of people and cultures, which carries that desire to be around diversity going forward in life,” said Hausserman. “It has helped me greatly in my work in different countries and cultures around the world.”
As a youth, Hausserman was a member of Ionia County’s Creative Clover 4-H Club. He enjoyed the Folkpatterns, arts and crafts, and gardening projects, and the county 4-H softball league. Today, Hausserman continues to volunteer with the popular 4-H Exploration Days event.
The Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration was hosted and emceed by MSU Extension Associate Director Matt Shane, a Kent County 4-H alumnus and 2014 4-H Emerald Clover Society inductee. Also inducted into the 4-H Emerald Clover Society Class of 2022 were: Gail R. Frahm, Saginaw; Larry J. Gould, Morenci; L. Janel Horrocks-Boehmer, Williamston; Alice A. Kempf, Holton; Karen Kolberg Kietzer, Stevensville; Dian M. Liepe, Pullman; Sarah J. Pion, Cassopolis; Rachael N. Ramirez, Birch Run; Melissa A. Souva, Bronson; Schawna M. Thoma, Anchorage, Alaska; and Mary J. Yeomans, Midland.
Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society members are inducted every two years. The inaugural class of 62 members was inducted in 2002 to coincide with the national 4-H centennial. For more information on the 4 H Emerald Clover Society and its members, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org/ecs.
The Michigan 4-H Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Michigan 4-H Youth Development. For more information about the Michigan 4-H Foundation, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org. Michigan 4-H Youth Development is the youth-serving program of MSU Extension. Nearly 100,000 youth are involved in 4-H with the support of 9,000 adult volunteers. For more information about Michigan 4-H, visit www.4h.msue.msu.edu.
