Caring Causes - GSUSA Giving Back

 The Holiday Season is an important time to give back to community and for over 110 years, Girl Scouts of the USA has been a vital source of volunteerism during this time. This year, Girl Scouts across the country are volunteering at local food banks, clothing drives, and other community initiatives, making a difference for both themselves and their neighbors. 

Girls are continuing to ramp their community involvement, so much so that “Girl Scouts Give Back” patch, which honors their volunteering experiences in true GSUSA fashion, is back ordered on the GSUSA website because much activity is taking place.

Here are just a few examples: 

• Girl Scouts of Western New York from Cadette Troop 60184 took action to help their community by organizing a food drive. The girls collected 837 items to donate to the Perinton Food Shelf.
• Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Service Unit 281 collected hundreds of items for donation to a local food bank during their annual "Scoutsgiving" celebration on November 1.
• Girl Scouts of Wisconsin - Badgerland volunteered at Second Harvest Foodbank in Madison. By the end of a three-hour shift, the troop packaged 315 pounds of pasta for distribution. The girls also decided to spend a portion of their troop funds on a shopping trip to make a food donation to WayForward Resources. 

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

Why is it so important for GSUSA to promote volunteering, especially during the holiday season?

• Volunteering has been a foundational value of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Whether it's girls lending a hand in their communities or adults volunteering as mentors to Girl Scouts, opportunities to give back and contribute are woven into the GSUSA program. Supportive adults are a pillar of Girl Scouting, as they create the environment for girls to thrive with their peers. Volunteering is a pillar of GSUSA because it encourages girls to take initiative, lead with kindness, and actively work towards creating meaningful change in their communities. Girl Scouts don’t just dream of a better world—they go out and make it. 

What are some popular activities for Girl Scout groups?

• Girl Scouts activities always come back to the organization’s mission: building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Specific programs focus on entrepreneurship, life skills, STEM, and the outdoors, all aimed at helping girls broaden their worlds and prepare them for a lifetime of leadership. From outdoor excursions, arts projects, educational activities, and community service projects, GSUSA provides abundant resources to expand girls’ experiences. Most recently, in the spirit of the Holidays, girls have been volunteering at their local food banks, fighting food insecurity by collecting hundreds of food items and donating them to their community pantries. This summer,  Girl Scouts of the USA,  in partnership with  Flamingo, launched a popular new Body Appreciation Program drawn from new research from GSUSA that highlights the significant impact of body image pressures on girls. 

How can Girl Scout members continue giving back year-round?

• Girl Scouts are always building a better future for the world around them. Whether participating in The Girl Scout Cookie Program, which teaches girls valuable life skills and helps fund local service projects, or the array of programming that provides girls the opportunity to address the most pressing needs in their communities, Girl Scouts are taking action to improve the world. Girl Scouts volunteer and serve their communities year-round by collecting food for local pantries, cleaning up state parks, and donating their Cookie money to their community. In acknowledgement of these meaningful projects, Girl Scouts can apply for the highest and most exclusive honors within the organization, the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards—our highest awards for making a sustainable impact. Awards such as the Gold Award recognize girls whose community service projects serve as examples of the GSUSA values of service, leadership, and impact.