 Jacquelyn Gorsch |
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 2007
Flintridge La Canada, California
I have devoted this summer to my Girl Scout Gold Award service project. I am particularly proud of this achievement as only one percent of all Girl Scouts receive this award, which is the highest honor a senior Girl Scout can earn. For my service project, I need to devote over 65 hours to improve the lives of members in the community. I chose to help the students at Santa Teresita School, which is located in East Los Angeles and comprised of children from lower income families. The school is in dire need of outside support to keep costs at a minimum. One of their most immediate needs for the upcoming school year is emergency supply kits for the classrooms. It is an expense the school would have trouble paying for, but a necessity for the children's safety. I placed notices in my church bulletin and press releases in local newspapers requesting donations from the surrounding community. I made announcements at Sunday masses and placed a drop-off box at my church. The response was overwhelming and the necessary supplies poured in.
"I have found it very gratifying to give back to the community and to know that I am helping so many children in need. "
In addition to the emergency supply kits for the school, I wanted to
educate the students and teachers directly on safety and emergency
preparedness. This is a very important need for the school, as many of
the children come from homes where the parents are not American born and
they are not as familiar with some of the safety and emergency skills
that many of us take for granted. To better inform them of these
important concerns, I arranged for a guest speaker from the Red Cross to
talk about emergency preparedness to the students and faculty at Santa
Teresita School. By providing both the emergency supplies and educating
the students on safety and emergency awareness, I have helped the school
to be safer in a potential emergency situation. I have found it very
gratifying to give back to the community and to know that I am helping
so many children in need.