White Plains Girl Scout Aids Children of My Sisters’ Place
White Plains Girl Scout Julia Golden has completed a Gold Award project designed to benefit children who have been impacted by domestic violence and served by White Plains-based My Sisters’ Place.
A Junior at White Plains High School, Golden (16) had previously worked with her Girl Scout Troop to organize toiletry drives for My Sisters’ Place, a nonprofit organization that provides services, advocacy and education to support victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and human trafficking.
Specialists provide free childcare for women attending meetings or counseling at My Sisters’ Place. Golden noticed that the childcare room was overcrowded with supplies and toys for young children. She reorganized and improved the room, solving storage problems and creating a nook for older children. She led volunteers to collect, organize and arrange storage drawers, bins, baskets and shelves, and along the way also collected books, videos, games and toys to donate. In a modern twist, much of what she provided was hunted down for free using Internet sites such as craigslist and freecycle. One special feature of her project involved creating and filling seasonal holiday boxes so holiday-themed decorations, books and videos can be pulled out for holiday use and then easily tucked away until needed again.
Golden worked with My Sisters’ Place Volunteer Coordinator Silvia Lederman, who said, “Julia made a sustainable impact in the room that will last a long time and will benefit not only My Sisters’ Place, but also the children that we serve.”
Childcare Specialist Lisa Alfano commended Golden for her “hard work on this wonderful project.” Golden’s Girl Scout troop co-leader since Kindergarten, Clare Castro, said “It has been a real pleasure watching Julia develop her leadership skills over the years, and I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished!”
Golden, pictured painting a toy box for the Children’s Room, and spent more than 80 hours working on her project. She attributed her successful completion of the project to “focusing on a goal, staying organized and having the help of a wonderful group of volunteers.”
The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. Open only to girls in high school, this prestigious award challenges girls to change the world—or at least their corner of it. Girl Scouts are part of the sisterhood of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a global movement comprised of more than ten million girls worldwide who are using their talents to positively impact their communities. Since 1916, Girl Scout’s highest award has stood for excellence and leadership. Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson has 30,000 girls and 13,000 adult members throughout Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Counties.
For information about Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org or www.girlscoutshh.org.
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