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Chelsie Cole, left, and Skyler Cole, 5, sort through clothing collected by Stacey Booth, far right. Booth collected the clothes to be distributed at Readifest as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project. (James Mann/jmann@winchestersun.com / August 10, 2012) |
Although Stacey Booth and Eden Bennett just started their senior years at George Rogers Clark High School, both know what they want as graduation gifts.
As recent recipients of the Girl Scout Gold Award, Booth and Bennett said they hope to receive a lifetime membership to the Girl Scouts of America.
“We have such deep connections with the Girl Scouts, and I¿love it,” Bennett said.
The pair have been participating in Scouts together since they were in first grade, along with four other close friends and members of Troop 660, who also are working on Gold Award projects.
Bennett and Booth completed their projects earlier this month at Readifest, a back-to-school event sponsored by the Clark County Family Resource and Youth Services Centers. Bennett collected backpacks and school supplies for 100 kindergarten students and Booth organized a clothing drive. The clothes and school supplies were distributed for free at Readifest, with leftover clothes being donated to Clark County schools.
“I thought it would be a good idea because my mom worked at the preschool, and she told me how they would run out of clothes,” Booth said.
Gold Award projects must be sustainable and produce measurable results, so Booth and Bennett are working with other troop members and younger scouts to continue their work in helping local students.
The Family Resource and Youth Services Centers provide clothing and school supplies to studentsyear-round, and donations are always accepted.
“I just love giving back to the community. It’s such a rewarding thing,” Booth said.
Community service is a large part of scouting, and Booth and Bennett have both participated in numerous projects over the years.
“We’ve done anything and everything,” Bennett said.
Scouting has also been an opportunity to make friends, and creates a common bond, Booth and Bennett said. Years of Girl Scout camp and troop projects have helped them learn to rely on fellow scouts.
“Even the people we’ve met at camp, and we see around Winchester, we know we’re good people,” Bennett said.
With a lifetime membership, both scouts hope to help out at camp in the future, and work with other troops. They also plan to help their fellow troop members, Bellamy Miller, Chasity Keeton, Sydney Brookshire and Sarah Banks, complete their Gold Award projects.
“It’s rewarding, and you can see the results,” Bennett said.
Contact Rachel Parsons Gilliam at rparsons@winchestersun.com.
