WELCOME to the SERVICE PROJECT page!
Many of you, when asked what appealed to you to be a "favorite" service project, have came up with some wonderful ideas! Here, we publish some of those with some others that we leaders have dreamed up as well as others found on the internet done by other girls in other councils world-wide.
Any of these service projects can be done by any girl, at anytime. It can also be done by groups or girls or whole troops.
A service project does not need to be done to receive accolades or awards. It is simply a way for an individual, in this case, a girl - YOU, to give of yourself to someone or something else to make a difference in the life of one or many. Good luck, have fun, and remember- always give from your heart! xxo
Visit a convalescent or retirement home. Come back once a month just to chat with the older friends you've made! Please remember to go back because they will look forward to your visits! Bring them artwork you made especially for them. You can read to them if they would like!
Mary-Alyce has: Collect(ed) older magazines and books from neighbors and relatives. Arrange to give them each month to an older folks home like a convelescent home, retirement home, adult day-care facility or local area hospital. Go back and remove the last months offerings and replace them with the new months offerings. Explain to your "givers" that you'll be collecting from them each month if they would like to give to call you and let you know to come by on an aggreed upon date each month to pick up. VERY IMPORTANT: please remember to remove the address labels from the front of magazines to protect the identity and addresses of the givers
Brittany suggests: to arrange to help out at a animal shelter or hospital. See if you can arrange to "job shadow" an employee or volunteer. What does their job entail? Is it an easier job for a man or woman? Have they had to have special schooling or training to do their job? Ask if you can return to aide them again in the future. Maybe you can start interning at this "job" until you are of the appropriate age that you can actually work there!
Siara suggests: arrange to visit an orphange or maybe a hospital with sick babies and children. Before you go, make sure to get permission from the director or administrator. Ask if there are any special items that either place may be in need of. You may want to come to a GS leader meeting and ask for particular donations that you can then distibute. If you find it rewarding, ask if you can continue to come to visit, making friends each time, and continuing to bring donated "gifts".
Examples of Bronze Award projects ideas
Geneva would like to have a My Pet & Me Girl Scout Fashion Show to benefit the animal shelter. Cost per ticket would be $5 + a can of animal food. All monies raised would go to the abnimal shelter. Fashions from the GS Store could be worn and a representative with apparel from the GS Temecula Depot could be available for parents/girls to purchase items for themselves. It's a win-win of a Bronze Award idea!
Collection of animal food products & supplies, old towels, blankets etc. to be given to the animal shelter (this has been done MANY times)
Make animal toys out of socks and stockings for the animal shelter.
Collect dry foods & canned goods for the area food pantry(ies). (Again, been done many times as a service project for Bronze)
Ms. Sally has an idea of collecting stuffed animals, cleaning and repairing them if need be, and donating them to area hospitals for children admitted to the hospital to be used as lovey's.
Any type of service or party/recognition of senior citizens or military vetrans would be a good project.
Ms. Judy would like to visit a convalescent home on a continual basis at least once/twice a month to offer brushing hair, offer a manicure or nail painting, maybe even rubbing lotion on their hands and arms or just simply visiting to perhaps play a game with them. Those who want to do this service project would have to visit WITHOUT FAIL EVERYTIME as these lovely older folks would come to appreciate and look forward eagerly to your visit.
Examples of Silver Award project ideas
Council believes at this level the Silver Award should benefit others yet be educational to younger or peer aged girls or the community in general. Think outside of the box of usual ideas for something new and innovative!
Mary-Alyce has thought of a few she believes would be a good idea to do together as a group. They are:
"NO SMOKING!" - an event focusing on the negativity of tabacco and tabacco products in general, how theyr target younger people, the health effects, etc. Invited guest(s) from the American Cancer Society. Literature to be handed out. This could be focused through middle/junior high schools/high school or just for GS Jun/Cad/Sen.
A Looking Good, Feeling Your Best event for Brownies & Juniors to earn their respective try-its/badges. A nail station with mini-manicure giveaway (dollar store item), skin care station showing the proper way to cleanse your face and natural recipes for facials/masques, hair station showing different styles suggested- up-do's, braids, etc.. A beauty/exercise/health perfessional that could perhaps come and speak to the audience about the importance of a good diet, exercise and proper amount of sleep. A sports station with ideas of different sports girls may have never before thought of playing- frisbee football, golf, field hockey, ping-pong, badmitton, tennis, you name it, there are many others!
An evening event for incoming middle schoolers maybe entitled, "How to Survive Middle School". It could cover peer pressure, bullying (especially exclusion!), coping with boys, being yourself when everyone wants to just belong, proper grooming, understanding changes your body will make (need we say more?), it would be nice to try to get samples for distribution from major manufacturers of deoderants, femenine supplies, coupons for products to try, etc. Also Mary has a resource who is willing to come to speak about all the above and how to be the best YOU you can be while being COOL and still YOURSELF - just the better!
Manner's anyone? There are a few of our troop that could use some polishing up on our table manners! What about an event to help teach Brownies & Juniors (maybe even Cadettes-bless'em!) that have a bit of difficulty mastering the finer art of decorum at the table wether it be at home or in public! Let's face it, what ARE all of those forks and spoons for anyway? Believe me there's a reason for everything placed on a table and how to behave when using them! But why stop there maybe we could instruct in telephone etiquette, how to meet and greet the proper way, so many more!