Cadette Troop 20737 planted trees to reforest a managed forest land on a private farm in Andersonville. From left to right are Savannah McNair, Megan McEahern, Hannah Tobler, Kasey Smith, landowner, and Brittany Wensell. (Photos courtesy Jerry Luckmann)

By Jerry Luckmann

Girl Scouts in Oak Ridge contributed more than 1,860 hours of community service during the past school year. Twenty-two troops, representing all ages and levels of Girl Scouting, tackled projects benefiting kids, local service organizations, veterans, senior citizens, and the environment.

The founder of Girl Scouts in the United States, Juliette Low, believed that community service offered Girl Scouts a unique opportunity to address community needs and develop leadership in every girl. The Girl Scouts in Oak Ridge have embraced this belief and worked to make it a vital part of every member’s experience.

Courtney Thomas, left, Daisy Girl Scout from Troop 20438, and Christina Thomas, Cadette Girl Scout from Troop 20148, sort and pack bags at the Food 4 Kids project.

Sixty girls and family members from nine troops participated in the Food 4 Kids project, packing monthly the nearly 2,000 bags of food that are given to children in Oak Ridge schools who need food at home on the weekends. More than 80 girls, representing eight troops, participated in the Dolls for Daisy project, to clean and refurbish hundreds of dolls for Christmas distribution at the Holiday Bureau. Girl Scouts donated health and beauty “goody bags” and Christmas decorations to the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. Environmental projects included recycling “Capri Sun” bags in a local school and planting trees to reforest land in Anderson County. [Read more…]