Recently in Community Service Category

One of our fellow sisters in Girl Scouting, Hailey from Johns Chapel, was involved in  a tragic ATV Accident and was air-lifted to Children's Hospital in Birmingham.  Hailey's injuries are very serious, and she will require several months in the hospital to recover.

As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for Hailey's family, who wish to be at their daughter's side as much as possible.  Your troops can help Hailey by collecting soda tabs on her behalf. For every gallon of soda tabs collected, her parents can stay for a night at no charge at the Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham while Hailey is in the hospital. 

If your troop has any pop tops they would like to donate, please send them to the Birmingham Ronald McDonald House in Hailey's name.  Get well cards would also be most welcome.

Please contact your local field executive for more details or for help getting the tabs to the family. Thank you for all your support in helping one of our sisters. 

Work it out, Girl Scouts! Taking a lead from United We Serve: Let's Read. Let's Move, a Girl Scout troop from Waldorf, Maryland decided to cartwheel their way to better health and literacy. Brownie Troop 6202 joined forces with the Charles County Public Library, holding their first annual "Cartwheel-a-thon for a Cause" last month at White Plains Regional Park in White Plains, Maryland.

Girl Scout members cartwheelin' the day away!

During the event, children and their families participated in fun activities including sack races, hoola hoop contests and other outdoor games. But it didn't stop there: kids and parents received information about how to stay active and healthy all summer long.

For more information on United We Serve and how you and your troop can take action, visit www.serve.gov

Girl Scout Troop Leader Kelly Clark was rescued by first responders after a bad car accident.  In her gratitude she created National Thank You Day.  Here is the information she shared with us:

May 19 has been set aside as "National Thank You Day" for our First  Responders -  Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Technicians and Hospital Emergency Room personnel.  We need to thank them for protecting us and saving lives.

Let's make it a memorable day again!  One of the ways that troops can help with this fantastic service project, is to have the whole troop create personal thank you cards and then personally deliver those cards to local Police Departments, Fire Departments and hospital Emergency Rooms on May 19.  There are many more ideas at  http://bigtimethanks.wordpress.com/

Girl Scouts l create personal thank you cards!  They just need to say "Thank You for ALL You Do!" or any other phrase that seems appropriate to your troop.  Some might say "Thank You for saving my puppy" or "Thank You for catching bad guys" or something personal like that.  Let's just create stacks of personal thank you cards!

Make the cards and then your troop/group can deliver them to whichever department they choose.  It is an easy project  and would mean so, so much to those that receive the cards!    

Please see the links below for more information and ideas.  Also see the Youtube link to see many Girl Scouts delivering Thank You's!  You and your troop could be in the next video!

Kelly Avery Clark
SU 411/412
Troop 42272 & 42647
May 19th - National Thank You Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRwokmk-ELg
      Look for National Thank You Day Group on facebook
http://bigtimethanks.wordpress.com/

The 2011 Avnet LPGA Classic is coming to the Robert Trent Jones Course, Magnolia Grove from April 28 to May 1.  Join the World's Best Women's Professional golfers along with the best fans around and volunteer for The 2011 Avnet LPGA Classic! 

Volunteers, ages 14 and up, are needed to be Standard Bearers.  The Standard Bearer walks 18 holes with a twosome or threesome of players and carries the sign (the standard) with the players names and score.  Volunteers are needed Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 28^th - May 1^st. 

As a volunteer, you will be admitted free.  You will also receive 2 tickets for your family to enjoy the tournament each day that you work.  In addition, you will receive a T-shirt along with a meal voucher on the days that you volunteer.  You will need to provide your own khaki shorts or pants. Here's the volunteer application. 

The Mobile Museum of Art is looking for volunteers, 14 and older, to help with fun art activities at the Festival of Flowers.  Volunteers will assist art instructors, interact with children to make hats, kaleidoscopes, painting "en plein air," leading a story time about art and artists, helping with a Readers Theatre.  Volunteers will also recruit participants, help set up and put away art materials.

Festival of Flowers is the premier flower and garden event of the greater Gulf Coast.  The festival theme this year is "All Things Bright and Beautiful."  The Museum needs volunteers on Saturday, March 26 from 9:00-5:00 (in 2.5 hour shifts) and Sunday, March 27 11:00 - 6:00 in 2 hour shifts.  Every volunteer will gain free admission to the Festival. 

An event orientation will be held at the museum on Monday, March 21 4:00-5:00.  Volunteers should be 14 and older. For more information about the event contact Howard McPhail, Curator of Education, Outreach at 251-208-5205  or howard.mcphail@mobilemuseumofart.com. To sign up for one or more shifts, please contact Gail McCain, Volunteer Coordinator at 251-208-5211  or gail.mccain@mobilemuseumofart.com.    

Have you ever looked at the birds in your backyard, maybe even counted them?  Then you are all set to be a citizen-scientist and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count during Feb 18-21.  All it takes is to spend 15 minutes tallying the different birds in your yard, neighborhood or other location sometime during the days of the Bird Count.  Then go to www.birdcount.org and enter the highest number of each type of bird you saw.

How does this help science?  When lots of people all over the country participate, we get a look at how bird populations change in number and location.  Scientists use this information to monitor bird health and migrations.

This could be a fun activity for a troop meeting, a family, or just time relaxing by yourself in the backyard.  More information  can be found at www.birdcount.org

Help make a difference for kids in need

Montgomery's new One Place Family Justice Center, which helps victims of domestic violence (mostly women and children) during the critical time immediately after they seek a safe haven after becoming victims of crime, is requesting donations of new or gently used stuffed animals and books for its special children's room where kids can stay while their parent is seeking assistance.  The center has a goal that no child will leave without a something special to take with them and has asked Girl Scouts to assist in the collection effort.
 
Our girls have been eager to support the success of One Place, and one troop even decorated a beautiful Christmas tree for the children's room. If you or your troop would like to help, you may drop off your items at either the Montgomery or Mobile Service Centers.  They will be greatly appreciated by One Place and the children it serves.