Tag Archives: #GirlScoutsGiveBack

Sydney H.’s Day of Service Project

Submitted by Tracy Mentasti

Metro Denver

Denver

Troop 65685 participated in Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Day of Service in January 2021 with a variety of different service projects. Sydney H. hosted a bake sale to benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. She sent out an email to her neighbors explaining her project.

“I think this is super important to the American society because living in a world without cancer is important. Think about it, cancer destroys all different species and it would be nice for this to go away. One of the main reasons is we could lose the amount of deaths each year we have of this disease. In this article it states, ‘Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in American children, resulting in the death of approximately 1,800 kids each year.’ I will be doing a bake sale with two options up for grabs: snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies.” – Sydney H.

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.

Jars of Holiday Happiness

Submitted by Kim Frederking

Metro Denver

Highlands Ranch

Our Junior troop in Highlands Ranch provided “Jars of Holiday Happiness” to in-patient kids at Children’s Hospital Anschutz. Our girls hope these gifts bring some joy and smiles to kids in the hospital over the holidays.

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.

Food and Supply Donations for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Submitted by Kim Frederking

Metro Denver

Highlands Ranch

Our Junior troop held a food and supply drive for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Pine Ridge is home to The Lakota People. They have been hit hard by COVID-19.  Pine Ridge median income is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year. There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each family home. Many homes only have two to three bedrooms.  We received hundreds of items! We want to thank the Highlands Ranch and Backcountry community for their overwhelming generosity!

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.

Steamboat Springs Blessing Bags

Submitted by Nancy Mucklow

Mountain Communities

Steamboat Springs

Girl Scout troops in Steamboat Springs teamed up to bring joy to others this holiday season! Donations were made by troops and families so that Senior Troop 54538 could put together blessing bags for others. The festive bags contained all sorts of useful items: warm gloves, toothbrushes, toothpaste, snacks, and more. There were also holiday gifts, cookies, candy, and stickers. Toys and craft items were also purchased by the troop courtesy of grant funds from the Lufkin Fund for Routt County Girl Scouts. More than 40 blessing bags were delivered to the local food bank and will be given to children who use the food bank this holiday season.

These girls were go-getters, getting this done, even amidst a pandemic!

Innovators: They brainstormed ways to pack and deliver the bags while managing social distancing.

Leadership: This troop took the lead in managing the blessing bag project for more than 40 children.

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.

Troop 26242 Finds Ways to Spread Holiday Cheer

Submitted by Allison Brown

Southwestern CO

Durango

COVID-19 can’t slow these girls down! Even with remote learning, mask wearing, and social distancing guidelines in place, Troop 26242 is finding a way to spread holiday cheer. During a Zoom troop meeting, the girls decided to help families who couldn’t afford a proper Thanksgiving meal. The troop sponsored three families, giving them the opportunity to celebrate with family, without a financial burden! These girls then decided to fully sponsor a family for Christmas! Following county guidelines, the girls were able to shop, wrap, and deliver while staying safe and keeping others safe! Last week, a full Christmas was delivered to the grandmother of the family for delivery on Christmas Day! I am so proud of these girls to think beyond themselves and spread holiday cheer! How can your troop stay connected and help the community?

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.

Girl Scout Illustration Featured on Special Postcard

Congratulations to Cadette Abigail R. from Castle Rock! Her illustration was featured on a special postcard sent to Girl Scout supporters statewide in December 2020.

“The coat drive is a project my service unit, Service Unit 652 from Castle Rock, did in October. My troop and I participated in the coat drive, and I really enjoyed giving back to the community and helping those in need. The coats that we collected were donated to the organization Facing Homelessness Denver.  I hope to take part in a canned food drive in the future.” – Abigail R. 

Today’s girls have never faced more challenging circumstances.

  • Remote learning and the difficulties that come with it
  • Disrupted routines and the isolation of social distancing
  • Financial hardship and personal stress impacting mental health and well-being

When times are tough, Girl Scouts rise to the challenge. Girl Scouts of Colorado has adapted its programming, and the skills, connections, and resiliency girls gain in Girl Scouting are needed now more than ever.

Your support is always important, but this year more than ever, our girls need you. This holiday season, please consider a gift of $30, $65, $125 or more to Girl Scouts of Colorado so that together we can ensure that our girls have the tools to prepare themselves for a lifetime of leadership.

Join us by making a gift at www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/donate or mailing a check to 3801 E Florida Ave, Denver, CO 80210.

Thank you for giving the gift of leadership to a girl!

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.

Aurora Brownies Give Back During COVID-19 Pandemic

Troop 65343 of Aurora is bringing joy to residents at more than 30 nursing homes and hospice centers this holiday season! These ten Girl Scout Brownies are second graders at Rolling Hills Elementary School. They teamed up with Sun Tree Hospice of Colorado for a project called “Mail for Seniors.” The girls made and collected more than 150 cards to hang on garlands at the centers. Residents can now walk up and read the cards instead of touching them.

One of the girls in the troop talked with AuroraTV about the project. You can watch her interview here: https://www.auroratv.org/video/aurora-now-december-16-2020?jwsource=cl

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.

Cadettes Collect Items for Irving Street Women’s Shelter

Submitted by Media Star Charlotte H.

Metro Denver

Highlands Ranch

My Cadette Troop 61631 from Highlands Ranch led a drive for Denver’s Irving Street Women’s Shelter. Our troop started with a Zoom meeting to figure out what we wanted to accomplish. We selected this organization because we wanted to help women. Irving Street Women’s Shelter houses up to 25 women at a time, and women who live there are experiencing homelessness due to disability or mental health issues. Women can be welcomed to this residence to feel safe. 

Because of COVID, residents are limited to what they are able to do. We decided to collect gently used or new activities such as books, games, puzzles, and crafts. With winter coming, we also collected socks, gloves, and gently used clothes. 

Five girls from our troop participated. We designed flyers that were printed and given to neighbors. We also created digital flyers that we asked our parents to share on social media. Plus, our sister Junior Troop 66441 donated almost three dozen Fall Product Program items, such as candy and nuts for our drive. It felt good to help other women. We also made holiday cards to brighten their day.

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.

Food Drive for Local Food Bank

Submitted by Ayse Bergh

Northern & Northeastern CO

Erie

Troop 77053 researched a service project for our community. There were many options available. Our local food bank sent out messages on social media. They were really short on certain foods. Our troop jumped into action to serve this need. First, we spread the word and set up collections. Second, we collected and delivered, and finally by using some of the troop money to purchase foods that did not show up in the collection. This is a work in progress.

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.

National Service Project: Fighting Hunger

From Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA)

More than 50 million adults, children, and families in the United States are experiencing food insecurity, a number that has only increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and may include members of our own communities, friends and family, or members of our troops, making this a sensitive and important take action issue for Girl Scouts.

As they think about how to give back this holiday season, girls can make a big difference in their communities—and for children around the world—by supporting hunger relief efforts. There are lots of ways for your troop to make an impact, whether you’re meeting safely in person or virtually and even if you aren’t able to give food directly:

(Hint: check out our detailed troop leader instructions (PDF) for helpful tips for each project!)

  1. Support a food drive in your community or organize your own (DOC)!
  2. Thank a Food Bank Hero! Write to a Food Bank Hero to show your troop’s appreciation and send encouragement for the hard and vital work they do. Mail your handwritten notes to your local food bank.
  3. Volunteer at a drive-thru food distribution program if there are COVID-safe options with local food banks in your area. (And if your troop is old enough!)

Once your troop has completed this service project, remember to:

  • Inspire others to give back! Post a photo of your project to your social networks using the hashtags #GirlScoutsGiveBack and #GSColo. Be sure to tag GSCO on FacebookTwitter, or  Instagram.
  • Complete GSUSA’s survey so your troop’s impact can be counted in our national service projects.
  • If you wish to recognize your troop’s participation with a patch, we recommend this Girl Scouts Give Back patch.

For all National Service Project activities taking place during COVID-19, please make sure that your troop complies with health and safety guidelines given by the CDC, your local government, and your local Girl Scout council.

Check out more detailed guidance:

Instructions for Troop Leaders (PDF)

Food Drive Toolkit (DOC) 

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.