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Holiday Generosity
December 3, 2023
The season of giving is in full swing this holiday season and one troop decided to share their spirit of generosity through a donation that would benefit both local children and animals.
Troop 823 of Surry went through two “adopt a child” Christmas programs, one at the Emmaus Shelter in Ellsworth, and another through the Salvation Army’s Giving Tree at Walmart.
“We shopped for a 3-month-old boy and a 10-year-old girl […] it’s tradition for our troop to buy gifts for children in need each year as an act of service,” says Troop 823 Leader Michelle Perry.
Since the Girl Scouts in her troop also recently took up an interest in animal welfare, Michelle says the Girl Scouts bought and donated supplies for the SPCA of Hancock County too.
“We got cat food, catnip, scratchers, dog treats, and dog toys,” says Michelle.
While practicing giving and generosity is in and of itself a priceless life lesson and experience, the troop also offered an opportunity to utilize budgeting, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
“Shopping in teams with a budget offered them an opportunity to learn about costs (and taxes) plus decision making with regards to what gifts we purchased. They kept tallies as they shopped to make sure they were on budget and had to problem solve when they couldn’t find the exact item on the wish list,” says Michelle.
We hope everyone takes a page out of Troop 823’s book this giving season—happy holidays!
