Results tagged “Community Service” from Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

• Ways to help disaster survivors

• Planning for disasters in our own communities

• Thinking big about preventing future disasters.

Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors from Troops 9065, 9261 and 9305 travelled to Atlanta, GA on March 16th to enjoy Medieval Times Scout Day. But that wasn't the only reason they travelled to Atlanta. After Medieval Times the group had planned a visit to one of the local Ronald McDonald Houses. The three troops collected pop can tabs and items from the RMHC wishlist and created several baskets to donate to the organization. As part of their Care to Share donation, the troops also donated 2 cases of cookies.

Upon arrival at the house, the group was greeted by Ms. Mary Beth.  Ms. Mary Beth provided information and a tour of the facility. She also provided the group a special meeting with a very special person, an 8-year-old girl named LaMiya. LaMiya, her mother and baby sister were residents. Ms. Mary Beth said she told LaMiya of our visit and that she couldn't wait to meet us, but we were not aware of meeting LaMiya.  After hearing her story, there was not one dry eye in the group. We were moved by LaMiya's big smile and the brightness of her big brown eyes. Tracey Brown, Co-leader of Troop 9065 said this was her 3rd trip she had arranged to a RMHC and had never met a resident before, so this was quite a nice surprise to everyone.

The troop was not aware of LaMiya's birthday was the next day, March 17th and wanted to give her a special birthday gift. After quick thinking, the troop came up with a solution, Jennifer Asiatico, Co-leader of Troop 9065 had purchased a crown from Medieval Times and that would be her special birthday gift. The group sang Happy Birthday to LaMiya and presented her with her special crown to make her princess for her special day. LaMiya was so very happy and she shared a story about her boyfriend and she even danced for us to a Justin Bieber song. When she finished her dance, it was time for us to leave. LaMiya made sure she hugged everyone in the group as we said our good-byes. Before we loaded into our vehicles, we gathered together and Tracey Brown, stated this is what Girl Scouts is all about and makes it so worthwhile. As the group drove away,  LaMiya came outside to wave a last good-bye.

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What a great idea to combine a fun event with community service!  Your quick thinking gave LaMiya a birthday she will always remember!

Allyson, Annabelle, Angelina, Brennan, Claire, Erica, Hope, Josie, Kate, Katy, Madison, and Tyler, all of Troop 9327, love animals!  Under the guidance of their Troop Leader, Lisa Harden, the Junior Scouts chose this project as their Bronze Award project. The Brownie Scouts completed some parts of it as the Take Action Project for their Journey and to earn their Brownie Pets badge.   But mostly, they did this project to help the animals.

In a joint interview, the girls shared all the details.  Read on for their great ideas and activities.

What did you do? We went to orientation and were trained as Montgomery Humane Shelter Junior Volunteers club members. The first time we all volunteered at the Shelter we walked dogs, washed puppies, cleaned pet cages and litter boxes, and rolled newspaper. The second time we all volunteered we made vaccination kits for cats and rolled newspaper. We also volunteered in small groups and walked dogs. In meetings, we sewed cat toys in the shape of mice, baked dog treats, made fleece tied beds, made dog chew toys out of strips from old t-shirts, and make disposable litter boxes. We also made a poster explaining volunteering and what the shelter needs for donations. Some of our troop presented the poster at our school's honor society meeting. We paid for our supplies from our cookie sale proceeds. We also donated shredded paper, dog food, and other supplies.

When did this take place? We started this project in October of 2012 and finished in March of 2013.

Where did this happen? We volunteered at the Montgomery Humane Shelter, we made things at our regular Girl Scout meeting place, we baked dog treats in a kitchen, and we raised cookie proceeds at a booth sale.

Your Favorite Part of this Project?

We really liked making things for the animals, walking and bathing dogs, playing with cats, and making vaccination kits.

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Congratulations to the girls of Troop 9327 -- you are truly Girl Scouts who make the world a better place! 

The name of our Girl Scout Junior Bronze Award Project is "YES PAL!"  That stands for "Your Emergency Supplies for People and Animals Locally." The project fits the name. 

The Juniors of troop 7098 in Auburn, Al, made 100 shoeboxes with emergency supplies. Some of the supplies included were water bottles, toothbrushes, a list of local vets, canned pet food, emergency contact numbers, brochures on what to do in case of an emergency, stuffed animals, a water-proof bag for important documents and a mini first-aid kit. We wanted to make our community aware of what to do in case of an emergency for themselves and for their pets. We knew this need was important after our area had a tornado come through in Auburn. We had the opportunity to meet with people at the EMA, the Red Cross and our local Lee County Humane Society. We had great fun helping our community, working together as team and earning our Bronze Award.

The Junior girls that made this effort happen are 7 sweet girls and 2 amazing leaders. They are Analia, Eden, Sadie Lynne, Sydney, Naomi, Caroline and Jessica. Our extremely helpful leaders are Betsy Stallworth and Melinda Stewart.

We learned that with a team you have to work together and if you do anything is possible!! Once we made our 100 boxes we distributed them around our community. We gave them to each family in our troop, to the East Alabama Community Market, The Humane Society, and other local neighborhoods and organizations.

Our Bronze Award was overall a great success and helped our community. It was an amazing experience for our whole group!

Written by Girl Scout Jessica and Troop Leader Melinda Stewart

Cookie sales are a good way to give young girls the foundation to be outgoing and wonderful sales persons. It gave me confidence because it pushed me to go up to people and ask if they wanted to buy my product. Now that I am 11 (almost 12) I am very outgoing. Also, I find it fun to yell out "Girl Scout cookies for sale!".

Spending time with friends at cookie booths is always a blast, but my favorite part is that it helps out a charity with the donations that we receive. Our Troop for example, Troop 9192, is donating to our Senior Center. So it proves to those very few who think that Girl Scouts don't really help out our community like we say, that we really do help our community. How many kids can say that they have been a tremendous help to the community? A few, but Girl Scouts do it all of the time!

We need wrappers!!!  Join us this holiday season at the Eastdale Mall gift wrapping kiosk.  Gift wrapping will get you in the holiday spirit and all proceeds will benefit Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama. 

Shifts begin Monday, December 19, starting at 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., and shifts continue every day until Christmas Eve from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

We can use 2-3 volunteers per shift.  Minimum age to volunteer with an adult is 10.  Minimum age to volunteer without an adult is 16.  Wear comfortable shoes and feel free to show your holiday spirit!

Students, you can get credit for community service hours.  Please join us to support a great cause and spread holiday cheer at the Eastdale Mall in Montgomery, AL!

Contact person:  Melinda Stallworth (phone) 334-272-9164 (email) mstallworth@girlscoutssa.org

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 Scouts are finding ways to help their Sister Girl Scouts in Japan!  Here are three examples:

A second grade Girl Scout started a blog titled 1,000,000 Pennies for Girl Scouts of Japan. Elisabeth has decided to start on a journey to try to collect one million pennies, by her birthday in April, to be donated to the Girl Scouts of Japan to aid in their relief efforts. While a million pennies may seem an unreachable goal, half the fun is the journey! Currently, Elisabeth has collected 20,445 pennies! Help her on her way here: penniesforjapangs@yahoo.com.

In Oregon, KTVL News 10 reports that 50 Girl Scouts in Medford helped fold and link 1,000 paper cranes Saturday night to be sent to Girl Scouts in Japan as a token of friendship. After September 11th, Girl Scouts from Japan sent over strings of 1,000 cranes. In Asian countries the crane is a symbol of happiness, and the act of stringing together exactly 1,000 is a gesture of healing. Fifteen-year-old Girl Scout Cassie P. said it takes about 25 folding steps to make the cranes, but it was well worth it.

Because of the recent devastation in Japan, the policy that prohibits Girl Scouts from raising money for other organizations has been temporarily suspended. To contribute to earthquake and tsunami relief efforts, you can make an online donation to the newly established Girl Scouts of Japan Relief Efforts.

There are so many ways we can help our Sister Girl Scouts in Japan; what might your troop do to help?

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.

Service Unit 914 invites you to a Halloween Festival Thursday, October 29, 6 - 8 p.m. at Dalraida United Methodist Church in Montgomery.  Wear your favorite costume and join the fun! Each troop in Service Unit 914 is hosting a game! Win prizes and candy. Hot dogs, chips and drink will be available for purchase at a cheap price.

 

The "dead"line for registration is Friday, October 23.  E-mail jsbradley@knology.net with the number of girls from your troop.

Siblings may attend, but must be accompanied by the parent who must stay for the event. No non-family members please.

 

Help us fight hunger!  Each Girl Scout is encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item. The Girl Scout with the most food by weight will win a trophy. For every 10 lbs of food, the Girl Scout will receive a raffle ticket for door prizes.

Hi, my name is Savannah C. (pictured right) I am a Junior Girl Scout in Troop 8062, and we are trying to earn our Girl Scout Bronze Award. I am asking for your support for a special project called "Spooky to be Hungry." This project helps people in Baldwin County get canned food to their families so they can have food, especially during the holidays.

All this takes is three easy steps. First, put a bag with a flyer on your neighbors front door on October 17. Then in one week (October 24), go to that neighbors' house and pick up the bags which should be left on the doorstep. Last, on October 25, bring all the bags to your leader. Go with your troop to the Ecumenical Ministries in Fairhope to drop off the bags between 2 and 4 p.m. My troop will be there collecting, counting, and sorting all of the canned goods.

Last year my troop raised over 500 cans. Just think how many cans all Girl Scout troops in our area could raise. That will certainly make it less "Spooky to be Hungry." After we count all the food, we will report back the wonderful results.

THANK YOU so much for helping us make it LESS "Spooky to be Hungry."

Sincerely,

Savannah

GO GIRLSCOUTS!

Hi, my name is Kayleigh S.  I'm an Ambassador Girl Scout with Troop 8493. I am asking for support from my fellow Girl Scouts to help me in a service project, called Nurses, Infants, Community United (NICU). This program supports The Children's Miracle Network, that helps preemie babies, and helps soothe the troubled times for the babies' families. I am asking the Girl Scouts because I know that the girls have loving and caring hearts and would love to help the babies and their caregivers for our local hospitals.

 

Your donations would brighten their days. The babies are not able to visit their mothers so much, so the nurses love to take pictures and print them out and give it to the worried mothers. The babies also listen to nice relaxing music to help them sleep.  They often have to change the babies' blankets and they tend to run out of fresh ones in one day's time.  They use expo markers to constantly update the boards with the babies' info for the parents and loved ones.

 

Some of the items needed are: new digital cameras, blankets, CD players and relaxing CD's, photo paper, and expo markers. 

 

Your support is greatly appreciated!!  We will be taking donations through November 15, 2009.  Please set up a box within your troop and items collected can be dropped off by your leaders at your local Girl Scout office. 

 

If you have any questions e-mail me at: kkaycat321@yahoo.com

 

Thanks again,

Kayleigh                               

GO GIRL SCOUTS!!

There are many veterans who are hospitalized, and they are of all ages. Some do not have families, and getting a card from you or your troop would mean so much! Cards for any holiday are welcome. The link below provides guidelines and dates.

This is something you can easily do at a meeting or at home and will provide comfort, support and appreciation for the men and women who have served our country. Here's the link:

VeteransCards.doc

My name is Haley E. and my Gold Award Project is called "SilverBells" .  This is an adoption of Elderly residents in the local nursing homes in Baldwin County for Christmas gifts!  I have 150 'Silver Bells" that need adopting, and I am hoping that my sister Girl Scout troops can help.

I have placed my "Silver Bells" at Fairhope Phsycial Therapy Center and at The Blue Marlin.  I will also bring some of my Silver Bells to the Council office after Thanksgiving.

If any one would like to adopt a 'Silver Bell"  they can email me at  SilverBells08@bellsouth.net.   I can email them a Silver Bell of their choice to them.

Thanks for your help!

Haley
Girl Scout Troop 8311