North Dakota FFA members team up to package “Kind Kits.” Photo courtesy of Anna Palmer and Gracie Rauschenberger.
The North Dakota FFA Association is living to serve — and having fun doing it. This September, members from across the state packed 1,000 “Kind Kits” — packages with basic and comforting items — at the annual North Dakota FFA Leadership Conference for children and adults in need of housing assistance.
“There are North Dakota citizens who go every day without essential items,” says Rolla FFA member Kylie Juntunen. “Winter is coming, and the Kind Kits are going to provide some relief for people who need it.”
Conference planners spent nearly a year organizing the event, including collaborating with the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way in Bismarck, N.D. According to North Dakota FFA state advisor Nikki Fideldy-Doll, they wanted to be intentional about the items purchased for the kits.
“We learned that sometimes what people think to donate, or what is available as assembled kits that you can buy and donate, do not really provide the items people need,” she says.
The 2025-26 North Dakota FFA State Officer Team helped plan and execute this service-focused event. Photo courtesy of Anna Palmer and Gracie Rauschenberger.
Everyone Has a Role
More than 900 members assembled the kits during the conference. Each student also wrote notes to be included, along with toilet paper, toothbrushes and other daily essentials.
“It was so cool to see so many kids helping out, and everyone had a smile on their face,” says Mohall FFA member William Peterson. “The number of kids and supplies all for the community was breathtaking.”
Rolla FFA member Haley Juntunen agrees. “This was a big task for our state office to put together,” she says. “We witnessed how a bunch of FFA members can come together to help with a cause.”
An $8,000 National FFA Living to Serve Grant, which is part of a platform sponsored by Cargill, Tractor Supply Co., CoBank, Ardent Mills, Corteva Agriscience, Elanco, Valent and Wilbur-Ellis, provided significant funding for the activity. Local partnerships and individual donors covered the remaining $5,000 needed to purchase supplies.
State leaders also challenged chapters to sponsor 200 kits, engaging students in fundraising and decision-making activities that extended the project’s impact beyond the conference itself. This approach not only provided financial support, but also fostered a sense of ownership and involvement among FFA members across the state.
Participating members and state officers smile with completed kits. Photo courtesy of Anna Palmer and Gracie Rauschenberger.
“It felt incredible to know that the little things can bring so much joy to a struggling person out there, and to show them that we care,” says Mohall FFA member Lenee Volker. “I feel that, as teens, not a lot of people expect great things from us, but these opportunities really show how much we’re able to bring together to support others.”
Start Serving
Feeling inspired? Applications for National FFA Day of Service Mini-Grants close on the first day of each month, so the time is always right to serve others. Grab a handful of friends or classmates and kick-start your next project today.
