Scout of the Day is done here where we honour and promote the amazing things that scouts are learning and bringing into their lives. It is easy going to meetings and having fun with scouts. It is even better when it translates into the scout's real life. Learning to "be a sister to every girl scout (and community member)" or in boy scouts "A scout is... friendly, helpful, kind". In both boy scouts and girl scouts part of the scout law is "to help other people at all times."
That is why, this time we have 3-4 scouts we will be highlighting because they worked together as a team to help others in their community!
(side note, there is a giveaway at the end of the post, so keep reading about the awesome things my scouts did).
When you are getting ready for school the last thing you want to think about is having to get school supplies and getting it all in order. I know the feeling. But now, these people, have lost EVERYTHING in an apartment fire/explosion.
Some of our girl scouts knew the other kids that lost everything who lived there.
It only seemed fitting that we do something to help them.
They lost EVERYTHING, and I mean everything. 6 lives were lost due to the apartment explosion. There are still people missing. Houses gone. Businesses affected. Underwear and belongings literally littered all over the place in the surrounding areas. You can see video here of the damage which speaks just as much if not more than I could ever write here...
That is why when we got the chance, we jumped at it, to help these people! Our neighbours!
My co-leader, Mayra Ramos, has a family member, cousin, Ada Villatoro, who owns El Golfo Restaurant who started a School Supply Drive. It seemed like the most perfect way to have our girl scouts help and for it to hit home how important it is to have even the simpliest of things... school supplies.
In my opinion, I could bring a bring a bag in, which I did. But calling the community to action as well on something as simple as buying some extra notebooks (which I did, at 17 cents a pop, so not expensive at all) is so important. If you can afford to get fancy binders and lots of back packs, that was helpful too.
I put the call out for donations to the drive in my community and had several bags dropped off! How awesome, right?!
Often we forget that helping in small ways can mean much more than we ever think.
Then later that day, we came back and we had this...
And even the day after a few more!
The kids put toys, candy, notebooks, protractors, pencils, glue, notebooks, folders and more into each bag to give to the kids. It was low key and the kids liked picking backpacks and personalising it with what they thought the kids would like. Ie: a pink backpack means a girl, obviously (not to me, but to them. Yay socialisation- I mean, boo!) so they filled with pink pencils, Lisa Franks colouring books, crayons etc. You get the picture.
To celebrate, El Golfo gave them each an ice cream to say thank you for helping after they got dinner! Which was delish by the way. The food is amazing AND they give back to the community. There is no better kind of restaurant than that and for that they have earned loyalty with me and I hope more of the community!
Here is what my kids learned about being able to help others:
Avi (10 Years old, Webelos II in Pack 33 from Takoma Park MD/DC):
"I felt really good and I am really happy that I am able to give. I think I didn't do enough. I want to help make food packages, care packages, and even help build a school. I just feel very sorry for those people who lost their homes in the fire. I have a lot of precious possessions and I bet they did too. They lost everything in the fire. Even their favourite, and even most valuable, pokemon cards and teddy bears. I feel good about helping and donating. I hope they get treated very well. I pray they get treated well and that they live a good long life."
Via (8 years old, Brownie from Girl Scout Troop 5823 from Takoma Park MD/DC):
"I... I really did love doing it. It makes me feel very good to do something good for someone else. Especially when they lost everything. It feels good to do something for someone else even if they didn't do something for me. It makes me feel important. It makes me feel more important after doing it because I was able to help others. Those that don't have homes don't have anything else that they can save from the fire. It improves me as a person and reminds me how much I do have."
Kai (5 year old, honorary scout):
"Putting in toys and candy and we put it in backpacks. I went to do all of it with people. People like a girl scout leader and a girl scout did with it me. It made me feel good. Sometimes it did not because it was boring and I didn't want to do the whole thing because I wanted to do it by myself. It was a little bit old. I zipped them up. We did it to help people who doesn't have homes. That's it."
I even heard that my co leaders sister was stunned she wasn't able to go to help. THAT is a close nit family and that is why I love my scouts like family-- because at the end of the day, we are and we help our neighbours!
Thank you El Golfo and Ada for the opportunity! Also, to Mayra for helping us make it happen!
So if the kids can do it, so can we all!!!
Also, don't forget to enter this giveaway (and share this story! Just hit that you share any post!).
(You can see the giveaway post here)
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