Every year on the third Monday in January we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Many schools and businesses are closed on this day, but it is supposed to be “a day on, not a day off.” It is a day that everyone should spend strengthening their communities, creating solutions to social problems and bridging barriers that will get us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

At Girl Scouts of Colorado, we want girls, volunteers, and their families to take this day to connect with their communities and participate in a day of service, as long as they are following current public health guidelines in their community. Girls can even earn our limited GSCO Day of Service patch by participating in a community service project on January 18, 2021! We want everyone to continue to be safe*, so we have compiled a list of community service projects that you can safely do in any part of the state to connect and help your community.

*please wash your hands and wear your masks while preparing and participating in these activities to continue to keep everyone safe.

Community Service Project Ideas:

• No contact sack meal drop-off: With your family or close social circle, gather some non-perishable items to pack in a brown paper bag. Good items are: water bottles, fruit cups, granola bars, tuna packs, crackers, and snack cakes. (Note: All items must be pre-packaged; no home prepared food.) Pack them up, then connect with a local community center or place of worship to leave them out for those in need.
• Community clean-up: Get your gloves and trash bags out, wear your mask, and go pick up trash! This could be at your local park, waterways, or playgrounds, really wherever you see litter.
• Help your neighbors: Get onto your local NextDoor or other social site and ask if there are any projects that people need help with. This could be everything from shoveling a sidewalk to fixing a fence. Best way to know what your community needs is to ask. These helpful activities can and should be done in a contactless way.
• Spread happiness: Whether this is a sidewalk art project, or writing letters to neighbors all these projects spread happiness to people you don’t even know.
• National Service Projects: Check out some of the service projects girls are doing across the country. https://www.girlscouts.org/en/girl-scouts-at-home/troop-leaders/national-service-projects.html

Don’t forget to take photos of your community service projects and share your story here on the blog and social media. Tag GSCO on Facebook, Twitter, or  Instagram.  Twitter and Instagram users should also use #GSColo and #GirlScoutsGiveBack.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.