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Member Monday Round-Up: Happier Together!

Girl Scout Hayley O.

Wow–– what a week it was Springing Forward with GCNWI! We tuned in for our very first Career Conversation (you can still join in next Monday, May 18), designed incredible Balloon Cars at the Mechanical Engineering workshop, built comforting Happy Boxes together (you can learn how to build one of your own by watching our tutorial), and learned all about composting with earthworms!

This is in addition to the continued service enacted by many of our own GCNWI Girl Scouts to support community organizations and essentials workers with cookies and other resources. Let’s learn about some of our awesome local Girl Scouts (and check out a very special shout-out from Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot):

Launching into Springtime!

Our Girl Scouts have been having such a blast with our Virtual Programs and Events, and it shows–– just look at this future Girl Scout who joined us for a Virtual Girl Scout Daisy Launch! Looks like her rocket turned out great!

This Brownie troop has been getting ready for Green for Good week by upcycling and working on their Wonders of Water Journey–– so cool and a great way to get girls thinking about the environment. Thanks to leader and member of the Associate Board Misse Daniel for sharing!

Girl Scout Peyton has been keeping busy by participating in multiple virtual events, her favorite being the Girl Power Half Hour hosted by Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes! She attended a World Traveler session, where she made a sign in Japanese to say “hello” and embrace diversity. She also made “fairy bread,” a favorite treat in Australia. Sweet!

Last week, we also celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week, and Girl Scout Troop 41762 shared an awesome thank-you to their teachers:

If you’re in need of some story-time, make sure to watch Girl Scout Kaylee read Splat the Cat! Great job, Kaylee!

Close at Heart

Girl Scouts have also weathered the storm and continued meeting regularly with their troops through virtual meetings, and they look like so much fun! This Brownie troop from St. Theresa School shared with us their beautiful unicorn paintings, and we’re wondering if they’re taking commissions!

Girl Scouts are making history–– literally! As a part of Chicago Museum’s “In This Together” project which records stories from the COVID-19 pandemic, leader Kris Nesbitt shared her experience leading a Brownie Girl Scout troop during this time. Read her whole story below:

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In April, we launched "In This Together," our community-based initiative to collect digital records that capture personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every Sunday, we’ll be featuring stories submitted by area residents to share perspectives and remind us that we're all in this together. Submit your story at http://chicagohistory.org/covid19history // In the Chicago region, social distancing and stay-at-home orders hit right in the midst of Girl Scout cookie booth season. Girl Scouts acted quickly to suspend sales until the crisis is over. Many troops have decided to donate their leftover cookies to first responders, healthcare workers, and others on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. I lead a Brownie troop, and our troop voted to do the same. Our Girl Scout meetings have shifted to digital engagements on the Zoom platform and at a recent meeting, we each wrote a thank-you note to hospital workers. The girls shared their images/messages via text, we printed them, and then we affixed them to Girl Scout cookie boxes. They were delivered to West Suburban Hospital and shared with healthcare workers." — Kris Nesbitt, Berwyn #MuseumFromHome #SundayStories

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Girl Scout Service Spotlight!

Junior Troop 70147

We remain SO impressed with our local Girl Scouts that have, over the past SIX weeks, donated hundreds of cookies, hours of time, and plenty of resources to their communities. We’ve gotten a lot of attention, even from Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot (keep reading to see the shout-out!).

Junior Troop 70147 (pictured above) made a big donation to the Frankfort Township Food Pantry, and Daisy Troop 55786 sold over 300 cases of cookies for our Gift of Caring program and donated them to My Joyful Heart! Just like that, the 1,000+ kids in the program may be tasting their first Girl Scout cookies ever. Great job, girls!

Girl Scouts are not the only ones who are doing some good: long-time Camp Greene Wood nurse, Tammy “Kandi” Lis, was saluted by the Chicago Blackhawks on National Nurse Day for her work sewing and delivering over 500 scrub-caps to her coworkers treating COVID-19 patients. We are super excited about this because she is an AWESOME human!

Our Girl Scouts are truly remarkable, and one of them has gotten the attention of Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot:

Hayley’s efforts are incredible, and we are so thankful to Mayor Lightfoot for featuring her! Find out more about Hayley’s project and how you can contribute to the cause.

After reading all of these stories from our local Girl Scouts, we hope you’re feeling renewed and inspired for the coming year! It is clear that even in challenging times, Girl Scouts shine brighter beyond imagination.

Share your stories with us, whether they’re about your service project or just having some fun.

In search of more Patch Programs to complete with your troop? The Girl Scouts from Home page is full of Badge How-To’s you can complete from home!

Stay updated with our upcoming Virtual Events by checking out our Calendar, which can be found on the Girl Scouts from Home page!

One thought on “Member Monday Round-Up: Happier Together!”

  1. Pingback: Member Monday Round-Up: Staying Strong! – Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Blog

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