Girl Scout Troop #4129 is currently working on earning various badges for community service. Each badge requires a certain number of hours working on a project or volunteer hours within the community. Last week the group spent time at Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary and Flat River Outreach Ministries helping with each organization’s needs.
Giving Back – Giving Thanks
Amanda Rogers, Girl Scouts Cadet Troop #4129 Leader, holds meetings in a room at Flat River Outreach Ministries (FROM). As a means of giving thanks and giving back, some of the older scouts are able to earn a specially designed patch. At least six hours of volunteer time at FROM is required in order to earn the patch. The girls spent an hour at FROM helping prepare candy for the upcoming Christmas Parade.
However, prior to their volunteer work here, they spent two hours donating time at Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary. There they helped clean bowls and stuffed Kongs with treats for the residents there looking for their forever homes. Service hours here went toward the girls’ Animal Helpers badge. Their time here also went toward a Community Service Bar, which is earned after 20 hours of work. The troop will continue spending time volunteering in both locations in the future.
The Importance of Volunteering
Troop #4129 is made up of primarily 7th grade students. Volunteering and giving back to the community is an important part of being part of any Girl Scout Troop. For Rogers, she hopes to expose the girls in her care to “every industry, career path, and community function possible” as a means to enhance their real life experiences. The goal is to help the girls figure out their own interests and boost confidence as they get older and become adults. “To work without the expectation of getting paid, and to help foster the experience and satisfaction of helping others, I think has the life-long consequence of creating community-minded, empathetic, adult leaders.” she adds.
Through volunteer hours and projects within the community, the girls learn valuable lessons in various aspects of life. Additionally, they see firsthand the importance of working together as a team and how their efforts pay off.
Photos courtesy of Amanda Rogers and used with permission.
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