I was contacted by a reporter again this week, this time for my work with Stacia’s Brownie Troop. She wants to do a feature article in next week’s paper about the service project we are doing. I think it’s really neat that they are getting some recognition this early in their Girl Scouting “careers.”

In January, when we were planning something to do with our cookie money the girls had a bunch of suggestions for using it to help people. I was going to suggest something anyway, but it was quite impressive to hear 7 year olds say we should give our money to the Tsunami vicitms. We elected to send half of our cookie booth profits to the Red Cross Tsunami Relief Fund.

I wanted them to take part in something more than watching me write a check though, so a few weeks ago I suggested a few hand-on projects: Any Soldier care packages, Ronald McDonald House toiletry collection, or one girl’s suggestion Toys for Tots. I really wanted to do an Any Soldier drive at the school, but I just knew they would vote for buying toys. We took a vote, as is the only way to make decisions with 24 1st graders. Any Soldier won by a mile. They loved the idea of helping our soldiers who were in another country.

So we have a big box setup at the school with a list of supplies the soldiers are requesting—energy bars, personal hygeine, stationary, and entertainment items—and plan to put together as many care packages as possible at our next meeting. The cookie funds come in when it is time to ship them overseas. Our principal was kind enough to not only allow us to setup a collection bin, but add our request to the school newsletter. That is, apparently, how the reporter heard about our efforts.

I’m meeting her at the school this afternoon for a short interview, and then she wants to ask a the girls some questions and take pictures. She asked for 3-5 girls. I felt bad that the whole troop doesn’t get to be involved in such an exciting aspect of it, but I just called my assistants to borrow their kids. I’m going to suggest that she do a followup at our next meeting for some shots of the girls sorting donations for our care packages. Even if she doesn’t run a second article, at least the whole troop will feel a part of the excitement.