Milpitas Girl Scouts Awarded For Community Projects

On Thursday night, Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves helped bestow Milpitas Girl Scouts with a Silver Award -- the second highest honor the Scouts can receive. To receive the honor, they were required to undergo 50 hours on a community project, which leader Michelle Eacret described below. 

Awards:

Girls: Grace Shau, Shivali Minocha, Jennifer Sigmon, & Gabbi Moreno 

Project: Coloring Books for JW's House

The girls wanted to do a project that would help sick kids. During their research they found JW's House, which is used to temporarily house family members of sick children that are being treated at Kaiser Santa Clara. The girls wanted to give something that would help the sick children and their siblings something to do to help cheer them up. They decided they wanted to design and make coloring books. First, they gathered donations of color supplies like crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc. Then the girls started designing the coloring book in different themes (nature, under the sea, farms, etc.). They drew most of them themselves but also accepted help from another troop member (Alisa Ren) who is a very good artist. After the girls copied off their books and sorted the coloring supplies, they worked several days on sewing individual fabric drawstring bags that they could put the coloring book and coloring utensils in so that it could be transported where ever they went. They made 95 coloring books and about 75 bags.  

Girl: Alisa Ren 

Project: Helping Wildlife

Alisa wanted to do something that would help local wildlife. She found the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in her research and started checking to see how she could help.  She met with the Volunteer Coordinator there a few times to find out what their needs were, which were mainly donations. Alisa wanted to volunteer there but she wasn't old enough. Alisa put the word out among the Milpitas Girl Scout community and friends. She collected so many items that were needed and delivered them in two trips. One Girl Scout and her family from another troop gave a $50 donation that Alisa delivered as well. Besides the much needed donations Alisa wanted to still help out.  She is a very good artist, so she did what she does best....started drawing.  She put together a tri-board that had drawings of local wildlife and what to do if you find one that is injured or abandoned. It was an educational board that the Wildlife Center will use in it's lobby and education program.  

Girls: Alyssa Carson, Anna Chiang, and Janet Huang 

Project: I Dream of Toys & Books for InnVision

The girls wanted to do a project that helped address poverty. Through InnVision they were connected with the Georgia Travis Center and found out they were in need of toys and books. The girls set out in their community, churches, and to local Girl Scouts to get donations of new or gently used toys and books. These could be used at the center by children while their parents were filling out resumes, applications, and looking for jobs. The center also lets children take home some items as well. The girls made bookmarks to go with the numerous books that were donated and volunteered at the center.  They did craft activities with the children, helped stuff backpacks, and then helped in the center's "store" where families can come and get needed items.  

Girls: Allison Eacret, Megan Brobst, Jennifer Bunnell, and Megan Farley 

Project: Operation Reusable Bags for the Milpitas Food Pantry

The girls had been wanting to do a project that was in Milpitas.  After meeting with Karen Kolander at the Milpitas Food Pantry, to find out her needs, they decided that was where they wanted to do their project. Karen had told them that they use plastic bags, that are donated, to put people's food in but her concern was that they weren't good for the environment, she relied on those donations, and they could tear easily, especially when most of her clients took public transportation or walked a long ways to get there. The girls wanted to make bags.  After some research they decided to make bags out of donated t-shirts.  They immediately started collecting them....and received way more than they'd ever need. They had to cut and then sew them into bags, with squared bottoms and nice handles. After washing them, they attached tags that they had designed with the Food Pantry symbol (heart in a cart), their names, and asking clients to please return the bags on their next trip so they could be washed and reused again.,  When they delivered the 120 bags that they had made, they stayed and volunteered at the Food Pantry for a few hours as well.