Bronze Award Spotlight: Donations to the Pantry

Taking action to spread some joy is what Girl Scout Alexis did to earn her Girl Scout Bronze Award. She collected pantry donations from her community for a local church pantry. She brought resources in her community together for a good cause by creating handmade posters and a special video for friends and family to spread the word.

“At a few of our troop meetings, I asked my troop to help and we made flyers that could be placed in neighborhoods, asking for nonperishable food donations.” Alexis said. “I also asked my troop to help by giving donations of non-perishable food donations.” 

In total she, with the help of friends, were able to collect 136 non-perishable food items that were delivered to St. Pius X Church Food Pantry in Norfolk.

Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast (GSCCC) recognizes the need for food donations at this time and invites GSCCC Girl Scouts and friends to make a difference for families in need by getting involved in the July 30th food drive to support the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.  You may drop off any nonperishable food items at 2401 Aluminum Ave, Hampton. This will be a "drive by" donation effort and there are no tours of the Foodbank. Find details and register for this community service here.

Little Free Library by Troop 1694

All of the girls in Troop 1694 love to read. As Brownies, one of their favorite community service projects was holding a book drive to collect books for homeless children. As Juniors, when they gathered to brainstorm Bronze Award projects, they excitedly decided to build a Little Free Library.

With a project in mind, the girls started researching. They took time during a troop meeting to walk to a Little Free Library that had already been built and installed.

“They talked about how the structured had to be designed to withstand the weather, to be waterproof to protect the books, to be easy for children and adults to open and to be aesthetically pleasing so that it would fit into the neighborhood,” Trish Jones, a co-leader of Troop 1694, said.

The girls then downloaded blueprints to build a Little Free Library and visited a Home Depot store, where members of the staff helped the girls construct the library. A few weeks later, they painted the structure. They chose yellow for the inside and navy blue for the outside to correlate with the school colors at The Williams School, where they planned to install the Little Free Library.

Next, the girls held a book drive, and they collected 150 books to fill the library.

The girls worked with the headmaster at The Williams School to choose the perfect location to install the library. They decided to put it near the school’s vegetable garden. In this location, students and their families, as well as members of the public walking down the sidewalk, can easily access the Little Free Library.

“Local support has been very positive,” Trish said. “Both the school community and the neighborhood community are excited about the Little Free Library.”

Members of the troop selected a week during each month to be responsible for maintaining the Little Free Library. They will check it, clean it, refill it and, if necessary, repair it, during their week of responsibility. The girls plan to maintain the Little Free Library for years to come in this way, and they will eventually pass along the maintenance to a younger Girl Scout troop.

“The girls learned that they can do anything that they want to do if they come up with a plan and put their minds to it,” Trish said. “We cannot wait to see what other positive things they will do in the future!”

Girl Scout Troop 626 Retires Flags for Bronze Award Project

Girl Scout Troop 626 from Virginia Beach recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project, which focused on respect for and proper disposal of American flags.

The troop members started their project by learning about the origin and history of the American flag. They also researched ways to respectfully retire the flag and how to identify when a flag just needs to be repaired instead of retired. They learned that as long as repairs are not noticeable and do not alter the dimensions of a flag, that minor damages can be repaired. Flags with large tears or excessive fraying, however, should be retired.

Armed with new knowledge, the troop members collected flags that needed to be retired from their local library. The flags were worn, soiled, faded or torn beyond repair. During their research, the girls learned that oftentimes, flags are cremated with American military veterans. They set aside a number of flags and donated them to a local funeral home to be used in this manner.

For the remaining flags, the girls organized a flag retirement ceremony, and they invited their families to take part in the event. In keeping with the guidelines of the United States Flag Code, the girls respectfully cut the flags and burned them in a small fire. They made sure that the flag retirement ceremony was solemn and dignified.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. In order to earn the award, Girl Scouts identify a need in their community and organize a Take Action project to put their solution for the need in motion.

Troop 310 Earns Bronze Award

Congratulations for the nine members of Girl Scout Troop 310 in Chesapeake for earning the Bronze Award! The Bronze Award is the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For Troop 310, the process to earn the award started months ago, when they decided that they wanted to take action to make a difference for the Portsmouth Humane Society. The girls invited a representative from the Portsmouth Humane Society to speak at a troop meeting to learn more about the organization's needs. She shared with the girls that the shelter is always in need of toys and treats for the animals.

Armed with new knowledge, the girls researched projects, keeping in mind that they had a budget, they wanted their project to be environmentally friendly and they wanted to be able to engage other children in their community in their project. In May, the girls toured the Portsmouth Humane Society and that same night, they attended the Greenbrier YMCA Parents Night Out and lead the children there in creating 48 cat scratchers, 46 cat toys from wine corks, 47 dog pull toys from T-shirts and 78 frozen dog treats. The next weekend, the girls delivered their donations to the humane society, visited with the animals there and learned about volunteer opportunities there. 

Other members of Troop 310 will be holding a similar event this fall to complete their final requirements to earn the Bronze Award as well. 

Troop 468 Warms the Community

The members of Virginia Beach Girl Scout Troop 468 had never thought twice about socks. They were just a part of their daily routine, that is, until they learned at school that socks are the number one item needed by the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center (JCOC), an organization that aims to break the cycle of homelessness in Virginia Beach. The troop members were shocked to learn about this need, and even more so that it was so close to home— less than a mile away from their classrooms at Cooke Elementary School. Always looking to help others, this go-getter group of girls sprang into action.

 

With cookie season on the horizon, the troop members figured out a way to combine their service project with the cookie program. The troop was already scheduled to host the annual cookie rally, a high-energy event to kick off the cookie season where girls learn the money management, goal setting and people skills they need for a successful sale. And, since Girl Scouts are celebrating the 100th year of the first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts, Girl Scout Troop 468 set a goal to collect 100 pairs of socks at the cookie rally.

Friday, January 6 was the big night for Troop 468. They had spent weeks planning activity stations for their fellow Girl Scouts, as well as getting the word out about their sock collection. Much to their delight, their sock collection bin quickly began to fill as more than 90 Girl Scouts arrived to the Birdneck Elementary School cafeteria for the cookie rally.

For the next hour and a half, the troop members focused on running activities. Giada led a cookie tasting station where girls sampled this year’s new cookie— Girl Scout S’mores. Memiki and Janelle teamed up to help girls make a marshmallow catapult out of craft sticks and rubber bands that girls used to aim for their cookie goals on a target. Kinzey helped girls practice their money management skills, leading girls through a series of scenarios where they had to calculate the cost of cookie orders. Zoe helped girls decorate and cut out fun glasses to commemorate the big 100th cookie anniversary. Some of the girls’ moms helped lead stations as well, including a fun photo booth and making decorations for cookie booths.

At the end of the night, Nicole Newsome, the leader of Troop 468, made an exciting announcement. They girls had collected well over 100 pairs of socks to donate to the JCOC.

“I am so proud of the girls in my troop,” Newsome said. “Many of the girls have been in my troop since kindergarten. Now, they’re in fifth grade, and it has been amazing to see them grow in leadership.”

Troop 468 has plans to continue their work with the JCOC. This winter, they will be visiting the center to learn more about their needs and the impact that they make in the community. The girls will also continue to spread the word about their need for socks.

“I’ve seen homeless people out at the Oceanfront in the cold, and it is sad,” Troop Member Memiki Miller said. “I hope that our project will make a difference in peoples’ lives.”

For their project, both planning the cookie rally and collecting socks for the JCOC, the members of Troop 468 will earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina are currently taking orders for cookies. Cookies will arrive to the region on February 18, and cookie booth sales will begin the following day. For more information, visit www.gsccc.org.

Girl Scouts Improve Suffolk Softball Field

Five members of Suffolk Girl Scout Troop 5292, Emily, Mia, Katherine, Michelle and Kylee, have earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. For their project, the girls focused on improving the Bennett’s Creek Little League fields in Driver.

Two members of the troop played softball at the Bennett’s Creek fields, but noticed that their team did not have a specific place to store batting helmets. The team would rest the helmets on the shelf above the bench where they sat, but the helmets were hard for some team members to reach and on occasion, the helmets would fall on to the girls. The two Girl Scouts on the team shared the issue with their fellow troop members, and the girls sprang into action.

With the help of the girls’ softball coach, Dan Eckstrom, the girls designed, built and painted a wooden cubby to hold helmets and bats. To get started on the project, the girls visited a local hardware store and learned about lumber and paint to determine what supplies they would need. With help from parents in the Girl Scout troop, the girls measured and cut the wood they had picked out and built the cubby. They then painted it and delivered it to the field, where it can be used by any team to safely and conveniently store helmets and bats during games and practices.

Building a Stronger Bond

Last winter when Girl Scout Troop 365 in Moyock visited the Currituck House, an assisted living facility, they realized visiting the center and helping residents wasn’t the only service the Currituck House needed. While putting a smile on residents’ faces during a holiday craft activity, they noticed two children who were there visiting their grandmother. They were just itching to get into the action. Looking around, members of Troop 365 realized there wasn’t much in the activity room to entertain children visiting, so they began brainstorming ideas to change that.

The troop decided that they would like to build some shelves that they could fill with games, books and DVDs that would not only keep children occupied during visits, but also facilitate more enjoyable interactions across generations. After gaining permission to complete their project from the activities director at the Currituck House, the girls sprang into action. They visited local hardware stores, learning about wood and materials they would need to build shelves. They took multiple trips to the Currituck House to measure the space, keeping in mind that they would need to leave plenty of room for wheelchairs and walkers to get around in the activity room. The troop members ended up designing and building three low, rectangular shelves.

“Talented parents and family members brought their tools to show the girls how to measure, cut, sand, prime and paint,” Brittany Orosco, the leader of Troop 365, said. “The shelves took the girls and the help of their parents every weekend from April until June. Every meeting was a lesson in effort and doing a job well.”

To collect items to stock the shelves, the member of Troop 365 placed boxes in their schools and asked people to donate gently used books, games, puzzles and movies.

On June 16, after the final clear coat on the shelves had dried, the troop moved the shelves from Orosco’s garage to the activity room at the Currituck House. The girls brought in all of the donations they had collected and organized everything to neatly fill the shelves.

“Through the project, the girls learned the value of hard work, networking and community service,” Orosco said.

For their project, the members of Troop 365 earned the Bronze Award, which is the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Sea Turtle Endangerment Awareness

Carsan, Virginia, Abby, Maggie, Ava

Five Williamsburg Girl Scouts from Troop 1270, Abigayle, Ava, Carsan, Margaret and Virginia, have earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. For their project, Troop 1270 focused on raising awareness about sea turtle stranding and what can be done to protect sea turtles in our region. The girls were inspired to do this project after a trip to the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Facility.

To raise awareness about sea turtle, Troop 1270 planned and hosted an activity night for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors to teach them all about sea turtles. During the event, Troop 1270 shared what they’ve learned about sea turtles over the past year, including their visit to the Virginia Aquarium. They then read an informational book about sea turtles and led the girls at the event in an educational game about sea turtle eggs to show them how most eggs do not survive in the wild.

Next on the agenda, Troop 1270 led the girls through activity stations, which included decorating a sea turtle cupcake, making sea turtle crafts and creating a sea turtle mural that will be hung at the local library. During the event, Troop 1270 also had the girls sign a thank you card that they had created for the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team volunteers.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award requires girls to make a difference in the community through leadership work. It is the top achievement earned by Girl Scout Juniors—fourth and fifth graders.

Girl Scout Bronze Award Garden

The members of Newport News Girl Scout Troop 1539 are on the mission to make the world a better place, one project at a time. Recently, the girls earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest honor a girl can earn in Girl Scouts, for their sustainable gardening project at the Newport News Family YMCA. The YMCA had received a grant from askHRgreen.org to create gardens that the facility’s new spray park, and the girls partnered with a troop member’s older brother, David Wells, who was working on his Eagle Scout project, to make the garden plans a reality.

While Wells worked on designing, building and installing four raised garden beds, Girl Scout Troop 1539 got to work learning about native plants, drought tolerant landscapes and animal habitats with the help of Amy Henry, the health and wellness program director at the YMCA and a Virginia Master Naturalist. The girls studied a variety of plants and learned about their uses. They decided to create a theme for each of the garden beds—sensory, wildflower, edible and butterfly.

Next, some of the troop members visited a local nursery to pick out the plants. When planting day arrived, the girls arranged each bed and learned how to properly plant the greenery. After the beds were planted, the girls made diagrams of each, recording the plant names and types. The diagrams were used to make teaching cards that are now used to explain the characteristics and benefits of the plants to preschoolers and campers at the YMCA. Watering duties have been taken on by the preschoolers at the YMCA, who also pick and enjoy the fruits and vegetables from the garden bed with edible plants.

In addition to earning the Bronze Award for their project, the troop members also earned the Flowers, Gardening and Animal Habitats badges.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award requires girls to make a difference in the community through leadership work. It is the top achievement earned by Girl Scout Juniors—fourth and fifth graders.

Outdoor Skills Day

Kaitlyn from Troop 759 shows Jadyn how to tie a square knot.

In preparation for Great Outdoors Month in June, 15 members of Chesapeake Girl Scout Troop 759 hosted an outdoor skills day for 70 younger Girl Scouts on May 21 at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast program center in Great Bridge. The girls, who are fourth and fifth graders, recognized that few opportunities exist for younger Girl Scouts to receive outdoor training, and they wanted to teach them skills they need for camping.

During the event, Troop 759 taught important lessons, such as knife safety, knot tying and gear needed for camp, as well as fun camp songs and games. They also shared information about animal habitats, taught girls how to wash dishes at camp and led an activity station with nature crafts. A favorite activity for the afternoon was learning how to cook outdoors. Girls learned how to build a campfire and roast marshmallows to make s’mores and built box ovens to cook pizzas.

Girls prepare a pizza to cook in a box oven.

Troop 759 planned the outdoor skills day with the help of their troop leaders, including Carolyn Engler and Kevin Wilkinson, both of whom are active duty military and dedicate off duty time to supporting their daughters through Girl Scouting. For their project, the members of Troop 759 will earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

“Helping the girls earn the Bronze Award has been a rewarding experience,” Engler said.

In addition to the outdoor skills day, Troop 759 is active serving the community. Eight members of the troop will receive recognition for the hours they have committed to community service with a Presidential Volunteer Service Award this year.

Reading Rocks

Earlier this spring, four members of Girl Scout Junior Troop 805 in Chesapeake set out on a mission to make an impact on literacy rates in their community. The two fourth graders, Kiersten and Zoe, and two fifth graders, Kailie and Elizabeth, brainstormed ways that they could give children access to books all summer long. During the planning process, Zoe’s mother Stephanie Martin, who volunteers with the troop, shared with the girls about the population of children she worked with when she was a teacher at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in South Norfolk. After learning about the lack of resources faced by many of her students, the members of Troop 805 came up with a solution and their project, Reading Rocks, was born.

Zoe, Kiersten, Kailie and Elizabeth 

The girls got to work right away contacting libraries, local businesses and friends seeking donations of new and gently used books. After a generous response, the girls had enough books to distribute at least five to every kindergartner and first grader at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Each of the four Girl Scouts also made 50 file folder games so that each student could have fun and educational activities to occupy some of their time over the summer. The Girl Scouts had Reading Rocks backpacks made for each student to carry their new books and games in and also gave some crayons to each student.

On May 23, the Girl Scouts loaded up their mothers’ cars with the backpacks and made their way to Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. It was just after school, and the girls made a presentation to all of the kindergarten and first grade teachers to explain their project and leave all of their backpacks to be distributed before the end of the year. The teachers applauded the work of the Girl Scouts and thanked them for their efforts. Giving students their own books to read over the summer can make a big impact on the literacy skills they retain from the school year.

“The most challenging part of the project was making all of the file folder games because it was time consuming,” Kiersten said. “But it was an important part of the project because they will help the students practice important skills like vowel sounds and contractions.”

Each of the four Girl Scouts put in nearly 40 hours each to complete the project. For their work, the girls will earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Wild at Heart

It was a cold, blustery day when the six members of Girl Scout Troop 174 arrived at Virginia Wild Horse Rescue in February. The ground was muddy from recent rains and grey clouds loomed in the sky, a sign of the snowfall coming later in the day. With cameras in hand and a mission to help spread awareness about preserving the wild horses of Virginia and North Carolina, the girls didn’t let the weather stop them. They began roaming the property with their eyes peeled for the perfect photo opportunities.

Earlier in the year, the troop members had chosen Virginia Wild Horse Rescue as the organization that they wanted to help to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. After hours of researching wild horses and learning about digital photography from Elena Boyce, a troop mom and professional photographer, their big day had arrived. Each girl took dozens of photos at the farm, and they later each chose one to place on display at the Princess Anne Area Library.

Troop 174 with the photos they took at Virginia Wild Horse Rescue

On April 6, Troop 174 hosted a reception at the library, where they invited guests to see their photographs and learn more about the local wild horses. Donna and Gene Snow, the president and chairman of Virginia Wild Horse Rescue, spoke about the history of wild horses on local beaches and shared personal anecdotes about the horses they’ve rescued over the years.

Each member of Troop 174 with the photo they took to display
at the Princess Anne Area Library.

In addition to displaying their photos, each troop member wrote a story or poem to help explain the importance of protecting the wild horse population. They also put together an informational display about Virginia Wild Horse Rescue, complete with the organization’s donation wish list.

“I chose a picture that I took of Red Feather to put on display,” Bella, a member of Troop 174, said. “He’s had four babies hit and killed by cars in Sandbridge. His story is important to tell because it shows why it is so important to protect these horses.”

During the reception, Boyce presented the troop members with their newly-earned Digital Photography badges. The girls also presented Boyce and Terri Tresp, the manager of the Princess Anne Area Library, with a Community Award to show their appreciation for their help in the troop’s pursuit of the Bronze Award. After the girls submit their final paperwork and their Bronze Award project is approved, they will hold a ceremony to be pinned with their Bronze Award by their troop leader, Angela Sandelier.

For the girls in Troop 174, the reception did not mark the end of their work with the Virginia Wild Horse Rescue. At the end of the month, they’ll be back at the farm to paint the interior and exterior of the feed barn. They’ve also donated the photos that they displayed to the Virginia Wild Horse Rescue for the organization to sell and earn some money to help care for the horses.

For more information about opportunities to make a difference in the community with Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.

Cop Stop

Communities rely on police officers to protect and serve. In turn, police officers rely on support and cooperation from local citizens to keep everyone safe. In order to help facilitate relationships between police officers and their neighbors, members of Girl Scout Troop 805 have started Cop Stop, a program in which the troop members host neighbors for dinner and invite police officers on duty to stop by for a homemade meal, gifts of gratitude for their service and a chance to interact with citizens in a casual environment.

Members of Troop 805 with Officer King

Kortnie, a fifth grader in Troop 805, explained that they were inspired to start Cop Stop after hearing a story from their troop leader, Heather James.

“Our troop leader told us about a program like Cop Stop that ran in her community when she lived in Oklahoma,” Kortnie said. “After hearing about it, we decided to start the program here. We hope that as people hear about it, it spreads and more people will open their homes to get to know police officers.”

On Wednesday, March 30, troop member Mackenzie and her mother Lori hosted the troop’s second Cop Stop event at their home in Great Bridge. They prepared a meal of pasta, salad and dessert and opened up their home to more than 20 Girl Scouts, neighbors and family members.

Dinner with Officer King

Officer Norwood King pulled up in front of the Clark home around 7 p.m. The girls eagerly greeted him at the front door, where they had decorated the walls with hand-drawn thank yous, balloons and gift bags. They invited him to fill a plate with food, and the troop members joined Officer King around the dining room table. They were excited to learn that his K-9 partner, Rosco, was also on duty and waiting outside in the car. After finishing dinner and a lively conversation with a lot of questions from the girls, everyone headed outside to see Rosco. Officer King held his dog on a tight leash a few feet away from everyone, but the girls were still able to get a group photo with Rosco.

Before Officer King headed out for the night, the girls invited him back inside where they gave him gifts, including a thank you card and a bag of snacks. They also helped Officer King pick out some toys and a snack for Rosco. Never knowing when duty will call, Officer King headed out and promised to share the details for the next Cop Stop with his coworkers.

“We hope that our project helps people in the community get to know police officers better,” Hannah, a member of Troop 805, said.

As it is currently scheduled, Troop 805’s Cop Stop program will run through the end of May. Each event will take place at a different home, so that the girls can reach as many neighborhoods as possible. The troop members hope that their efforts inspire people throughout Hampton Roads to start their own neighborhood Cop Stop programs.

From promoting the event to creating thank you cards, each of the six troop members hosting Cop Stop was responsible for a specific component of the project. For their efforts, the girls are hoping to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Moyock Girl Scouts Donate Care Packages for Military Families

Last month, eight members of Girl Scout Troop 2504 from Moyock made their way to the Norfolk International Airport. The girls were headed to the USO Welcome Center to complete a project that they had been planning for months. The girls worked hard all winter long to sell Girl Scout Cookies and collect donations to create care packages to send to military families stationed overseas, and finally the day had arrived from them to pack and donate the boxes.

For Troop 2504, supporting the troops is a cause that hits close to home. One of the troop members is part of a military family that previously lived in Ethiopia. While there, her family received a care package from a Girl Scout troop that offered them a taste of home and personal letters of gratitude. Her family was so touched by the gesture that they shared the idea with Troop 2504, and the girls decided that they wanted to give a thoughtful gift from home to more families stationed overseas.

The girls in Troop 2504 sold Girl Scout Cookies to earn money to purchase items to send in the care packages. They also asked cookie customers to purchase and donate extra cookies and contacted friends and businesses in the community to donate items for the packages. By the end of cookie season, the girls had 115 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, along with games, foods and other treats for the boxes. They also wrote letters to the families receiving the boxes thanking them for their service and sacrifices.

On May 31 at the USO Welcome Center in Norfolk, the girls filled 35 boxes with the items they had purchased and collected. The boxes were shipped to Special Warfare Unit families whose headquarters are in Stuttgart, Germany, thanks to a generous donation from the Navy Seal Foundation to cover the shipping costs. The girls also left items at the USO Welcome Center for troops and their families to enjoy when they arrive at the airport, and the girls had the opportunity to pass out boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to service members passing through the USO Welcome Center while they were there.

For years, Girl Scouts across the country have used Girl Scout Cookies to show their appreciation for men and women in uniform. For the project that the members of Troop 2504 completed, they will earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting and the highest award earned by Girl Scouts in elementary school.

Norfolk Girl Scouts Donate Cookies to Fire Department

For years, Girl Scouts across the country have used Girl Scout Cookies to show their appreciation for men and women who serve the community. All winter long, members of Girl Scout Troop 5034 worked diligently to ask their cookie customers to purchase extra cookies for the Girl Scouts to donate to their hometown heroes—members of the Norfolk fire and rescue department. On Saturday, April 11, members of the troop visited Norfolk Fire Station 14, where they hosted a cookies and milk reception for the first responders there, presented them with a thank you card to show their appreciation for the work they do in the community and donated the cookies they had collected.

Haley, Alexis, Rhilee, Rhianna and Mackenzie from Girl Scout Troop 5034 at Norfolk Fire Station 14

This community service project was inspired by Girl Scout Junior Mackenzie, a member of Troop 5034 who wanted to find a way to recognize citizens that perform an important service in the community. Mackenzie lead her troop in the decision to recognize the fire and rescue workers in Norfolk, and all of the girls worked together to collect cookie donations.

“Mackenzie made the observation that there are numerous people in the community that serve others with little or no recognition or thanks,” Girl Scout Troop 5034 Leader Rita Estrada said. “The girls chose to donate to Fire Station 14 because it is located in our community and one of the largest Norfolk fire stations with more emergency response vehicles, equipment and personnel.”

This community service project is part of the process for the members of the troop to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting, and the highest award earned by Girl Scouts in elementary school.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the world’s largest girl-led business and the nation’s leading financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls. Through the program, girls learn skills that will last them a lifetime, such as goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

Virginia Beach Girl Scout Leads Project to Serve Homeless Youth

About a year ago, Virginia Beach Girl Scout Junior Dominique learned about homeless youth in Hampton Roads and what it’s like for some of them to move into a shelter with little to no personal belongings. She thought about what she could do to give them a sense of comfort and decided that she wanted to make a difference by sewing kid-friendly pillowcases to give to the children at For Kids, a homeless shelter in Norfolk. After meeting with staff at For Kids and learning even more about what children who come to this shelter are facing, Dominique sprang into action.

Dominique sewing a pillowcase in
her home last summer.

With the help of her mother and Girl Scout volunteer Charmaine Troy, Dominique began her project making one pillowcase at a time at her home. Using fabric with bright flowers, polka dots, stripes and familiar cartoon characters, the handmade pillowcases provide children entering emergency housing at For Kids with something personal and comforting.

“The pillowcases give kids at the shelter something of their own,” Dominique said. “It’s something that they will be able to take with them no matter where they go.”

Realizing how much of an impact that her pillowcases were having on children who are facing the unknown, Dominique decided to take her project to the next level by involving her peers. She first hosted a service learning day for her classmates and community members at Thalia Elementary School. Then, last weekend, she hosted a second service learning day for her fellow Girl Scouts at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center and headquarters in Chesapeake. At this workshop, nearly 70 Girl Scouts made 84 pillowcases with the help of volunteers from The Tidewater Quilters’ Guild.

Dominique and her mom Charmaine at the pillowcase service
learning workshop at A Place for Girls

By inviting her peers to help make pillowcases, Dominique has not only been able to donate more pillowcases to For Kids, but has also helped her peers learn valuable sewing skills. Dominique has also spread the word about her project and youth homelessness by speaking to community groups, including a group of 150 Girl Scouts during an event at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the fall.

For her project, Dominique will earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the highest award earned by Girl Scout Juniors and the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Dominique with one of her pillowcases at For Kids

Community service has been a cornerstone of Girl Scouting since the organization was founded over 100 years ago. For more information about getting involved with Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.

Chesapeake Girl Scouts Recognized at Award Ceremony

On January 7, Girl Scout Troop 5777 from Chesapeake hosted a ceremony at Oak Grove United Methodist Church to honor six Girl Scouts who have recently earned the highest awards in Girl Scouting, the Girl Scout Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards.

Alexa, Alexandra and Emma

Girl Scout Juniors Emma , Alexandra and Alexa earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest award in Girl Scouting. For their project, the girls improved the garden at Greenbrier Intermediate School. They also learned about water conservation and attended a City of Chesapeake community outreach class where they made a rain barrel to donate to the school.

Gabby, Danielle and Jordan

Girl Scout Cadettes Jordan, Danielle and Gabby earned the Girl Scout Silver Award, the second highest award in Girl Scouting. Jordan completed a graveyard restoration project, in which she built a bench for visitors, made a cast iron sign to easily identify the site and researched local records to learn about the history of the graveyard. Danielle and Gabby’s project focused on raising awareness about diabetes among students at Greenbrier Middle School.

Christina was pinned with the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting, during the ceremony. Christina restored the Storer Family Graveyard by installing a pathway to reach the gravesites, resetting tombstones and making a wooden display case to inform others about those who are buried at the graveyard. She also created a historical record of the graveyard and published a manual for the care of the site.

GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller, Christina and Sandy Hunt, leader of
Girl Scout Troop 5777 and Christina's Gold Award project advisor

“At each level of Girl Scouting, these young ladies reached out to help others and became their very best,” Sandy Hunt, the leader of Girl Scout Troop 5777 said. “They believed in themselves, worked with others in the community and made the world a better place."

The highest awards in Girl Scouting are designed to help girls make a lasting difference in their communities. They also help girls develop important leadership skills, including time management, critical thinking, teamwork and communication that will last them a lifetime.

Suffolk Girl Scouts Earn Bronze Award for Literacy Project

Suffolk Girl Scouts Madison, Jessica, Amber, Sarah, Layne and Caroline from Troop 5563 recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the third highest award in Girl Scouting, and the top award Girl Scouts in grades 4 and 5 can earn. Through their project, the members of Troop 5563 sought to promote literacy among children in their community.

The girls were inspired to do their project while planning their World Thinking Day event, which is an annual event celebrated by Girl Scouts to recognize their sister Girl Scouts and Girl Guides in other countries around the world. The theme for World Thinking Day this year centered on the idea that education opens doors for children. With this in mind, the girls decided to make a difference in education through literacy.

The members of Troop 5563 hosted book drives at several schools, businesses and churches in Suffolk, through which they collected over 200 books. One of the organizations that they supported through their book drive was the West End Baptist Church Book Buddies program, which is an afterschool tutoring program for children who struggle with reading. The girls were invited to a tutoring session to see how students were learning and how their book donation would make a positive impact on the program.

The girls had also collected adult reading level books that they decided to donate to the USO of Hampton Roads to give to soldiers. The troop members were already familiar with the mission of the USO after donating Girl Scout Cookies to the organization earlier in the year, and they were eager to show support for the military again.

The girls hope that their donations make a difference in the lives of the children in the Book Buddies program and make someone’s day a little better through their donation to the USO. Through this project, the troop has learned about teamwork, commitments and appreciating what they have.

Sarah, Jessica, Layne and Caroline from Troop 5563.
Not pictured: Madison and Amber