By Shannon Perez
Staff Writer
Cookies: the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Girl Scouts. However, by focusing on empowering girls through community involvement, the Girl Scout program is much more sophisticated than just cookie sales.
The highest possible achievement in Girl Scouts is the Gold Award. In a minimum requirement of 100 hours of community service in a six-month period, a Girl Scout must identify a community issue, create a plan to tackle it, take action toward solving it and finally educate the public about the results. Costa senior Gina Kuhlmann and juniors Allison Comroe and Reilly Edmonds are just some of the Girl Scouts who have dedicated themselves to both the community and earned this award.
“We all found something in our community that sparked our interest and that we love to do,” Kuhlmann said. “We worked hard and showed our passions through our projects, and it was completely worth it.”
Comroe joined Girl Scouts in the first grade and has been a part of Troop 9655 for 11 years. After earning both her Bronze and Silver awards, she created the program “Warmth from the Heart” to earn her Gold Award.
Working closely with the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House, Comroe created snack packs and birthday bags for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, which is a charity that focuses on caring and supporting both children and their families.
“I hoped to impact the community by educating them about the Ronald McDonald House and to benefit those who stayed there,” Comroe said. “It provided a sense of comfort for those in need so they could focus their efforts on getting their children well.”
Comroe then went to local high schools to educate students about the LBRMH and instruct them on how to make blankets. She assisted in the production of over 200 blankets that were then donated to every new family staying at the Ronald McDonald House. This service prompted Comroe to earn her Gold Award in June 2013.
“The most rewarding part was seeing the blankets being used by the patients who were receiving treatment,” Comroe said. “Seeing that I made a difference was rewarding, and I earned so many life skills.”
Also in Troop 9655, Edmonds began her Gold Award journey in July of 2013, focusing her efforts toward the Venice Family Clinic, which offers free medical care to patients in need. Edmonds designed and painted a mural on a wall in the facility’s back parking lot and constructed 12 flower boxes to hang on a fence surrounding the Children’s Playground.
“The outside of the clinic needed a little spicing up,” Edmonds said. “So, I thought that the clinic would radiate a more positive mood by adding life through plants and a colorful mural.”
Edmond’s interest in pursuing a medical career in the future led to her involvement with the clinic. She created activities and recipes to promote a healthy lifestyle for the members at the Venice center. Edmonds overcame a large setback when two of her advisors left during her project, but she still managed to earn her Gold Award in February of 2014.
“Going back to the clinic after the project was complete and hearing the positive feedback from volunteers and parents made the experience worthwhile and enjoyable,” Edmonds said. “Many people said how the mural puts a smile on their face, and making people smile was really my main goal.”
The most recent and oldest Girl Scout at Costa to embark on the mission to earn her Gold Award is Kuhlmann. From Troop 9355, Kuhlmann earned her Gold Award this March with her project, Playground Partners. Kuhlmann established this mentor program on her own at Dominguez Elementary School in Carson, where she aims to teach older kids responsibility and hard work and to teach the younger students safety.
“I have been in Girl Scouts for 12 years, and receiving the Gold Award was a good payoff after all of these years in the program,” Kuhlmann said. “Knowing that I was able to make a difference in children’s lives made all of the long days worthwhile.”
Kuhlmann began her work this past August and went everyday to the school for two weeks straight. She says she wanted to bring leadership back to the school because their leadership was dismantled.
“Being a leader gave me a sense of independence,” Kuhlmann said. “You don’t need to do anything life-changing. Even just spending time with the kids can bring them a sense of joy, and that alone makes me happy.”
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