Monday, July 20, 2015

Making a Difference at Summer Camp

The winter holidays may be months away, but Girl Scouts are already preparing to make a difference during the season of giving. On July 9, girls at Camp Imagimazing Summer Fun, a Girl Scout day camp in Chesapeake, welcomed Heather Tebbenhoff, volunteer and donation drive coordinator with the Salvation Army, to camp.

When Tebbenhoff arrived at camp, she asked the girls what they know about the Salvation Army. Girls talked about the family stores and the holiday kettles, which Tebbenhoff said are the two most commonly recognized functions of the organization. She then talked to the girls about the mission and services of the Salvation Army and gave them the opportunity to ask questions and share some of their own community service stories.

Tebbenhoff also talked about the Salvation Army’s stocking program and Angel Tree program. She shared that last year, the Salvation Army Hampton Roads Command gave out 6,000 gifts through the Angel Tree program.

“We do a lot for people in the community, and the holidays are the time when we are the busiest,” Tebbenhoff said. “We make a difference by helping people change their lives.”

After talking to the girls, Tebbenhoff led them in a community service project to make snowflake holiday cards that will be placed in the stockings distributed by the Salvation Army to families this holiday season. Girls enjoyed using their creativity to design and cut snowflakes and decorate greeting cards.
Heather Tebbenhoff with Girl Scouts Liberty, Aspen and Hannah
Camp Imagimazing Summer Fun runs through August 21 at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center and headquarters in Chesapeake. Camp is open to all girls whether or not they are currently registered members of the organization. For more information about summer camp or about joining Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.