Girl Scouts Take Action after Hurricane Ike
Now more than ever, our community needs our help. Whether collecting clothing, holding a food drive or volunteering at a shelter, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is proud of each and every Girl Scout who is taking action in our community to help those affected by Hurricane Ike. Thank you for making a difference!
Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts Christina S., Teresa S. and Angela G. held
a clothing/linen drive in their Pinebrook neighborhood in Clear Lake immediately
following Hurricane Ike. They distributed a hand-made flyer to 20 neighbors
on their street with a request to donate clothing, towels, and bedding for
the residents of Galveston who have lost everything. The next morning, the
girls collected about 20 large bags left on doorsteps! They spent about
three hours sorting all the items to make it easier to distribute. The bags,
which filled half of a minivan, were then delivered to the Stars Service
Unit for delivery to Galveston the following day.
Girl Scout Brownie Troop #17160 is collecting clothing, non-perishable food, money, blankets, and more for the people sheltered at Grace Fellowship on Mason. They are also giving donations to Katy Christian Ministries.
You will be proud to know that, at the moment, the lodges at Camps Arnold and Misty Meadows are filled with power crews who have been brought in from other areas to help restore power to our area. They have created a little city in our lodges so that the crews can rest in between shifts. We are grateful that our camps can be used for the recovery effort in this way.
Stephanie H. and Megan T. of Girl Scout Ambassador Troop #7038 worked at Methodist Hospital in Houston on Monday after Hurricane Ike. The hospital was short-staffed in the kitchen, so the girls rolled silverware and delivered food trays to patients. They also worked at the Red Cross food preparation station in Baytown, washing dishes and large trays. Just like Girl Scouts, they used one container for scrubbing, another for rinsing and bleach, and a third for rinsing again. Funny how camping skills can be used in the real world! The girls also worked at First Baptist Church in Baytown washing and folding hundreds of hurricane volunteers’ clothes.
Junior Girl Scout Sarah A., from Troop #27038, and her neighbor, Nicole A., hosted a "free" lemonade stand to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Ike. They raised $45 in donations for the Red Cross, and are planning to open another stand in two weeks to raise more money.
Girl Scout Ambassador Stephanie M. helped neighbors clear their yards of trash and debris after Hurricane Ike subsided. When she learned her elderly neighbor across the street was out of town, Stephanie took the initiative to clean the yard, in the front and back, so the neighbor would have one less thing to worry about when she returned home.
Junior Girl Scout Troop #1213 participated in Operation Crayon, a school and clothing drive sponsored by CCISD. They also collected food and clothing to assist the residents of Seabrook who were affected by Hurricane Ike.
After the hurricane, members of New Territory's Girl Scout Troop #147 spent three days volunteering for the county's Meals on Wheels program and helping area senior citizens. The girls spent a day volunteering at the Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels congregate site at the Rosenberg Bud O’Shieles Community Center, where seniors receive hot meals daily and enjoy games and activities. The girls staged a sing-a-long, played games and made cards to be delivered with meals to shut-in seniors to help brighten their day. For the remaining two days, the girls volunteered at the Oasis Senior Living Center in Stafford, serving meals to residents and providing companionship.
Junior Girl Scouts Chloe B. and Abbie S. from Troop 3068 in Katy volunteer at the Houston Food Bank after Hurricane Ike.
Cadette Girl Scout Molly V. of Troop #12554 gave shelter to a lost dog that was loose in her neighborhood following the storm. After seeing one of the signs that Molly's family posted in the neighborhood, the relieved owners called and claimed their precious pet. Guess what the pet's name was...Cookie! How appropriate for her to take shelter with a Girl Scout.
Hurricane Ike swept through the Bay Area with furious winds coupled with tremendous water of monsoon proportions. The population is still struggling to find its sense of normalcy in Ike’s wake weeks later. Although we humans have felt the impact of Ike, Girl Scout Troop # 1415 went to the aid of our four-legged friends at the Bay Area Pet Adoption in San Leon in Galveston County. This fifth grade troop spent a week collecting blankets, towels, toys and treats (including peanut butter) to donate to the pet shelter. The items were delivered to the shelter on Friday, Sept. 26. The girls were sure to “paws” to play with the animals before leaving.
Team work and compassion has never been more evident than in these
past weeks when our young Girl Scout citizens recognized the community’s
needs and came together to meet those needs. Girl Scout Troops #
7140 and # 7155 joined up to 
make
flyers that they delivered to their neighboring residents in the
Clear Lake area. Once the items were collected, the girls picked them
up from the front door of their generous neighbors and delivered them
to Interfaith Caring Ministries. Two minivans (with all extra seats removed)
were filled with food, diapers, paper products, clothing, school supplies
and toys.
The girls also went the “extra mile” by sorting all the items they received. Hurricane Ike might have knocked us down, but with the help of those like the members of these Girl Scout troops, we will be back to normal in no time.
Food Feeds More than Hunger
In the wake of Hurricane Ike, Girl Scouts have come together to feed more
than hungry bellies. Troop # 11294 is group of fourth grade girls who wanted
to make a difference and help feed the hungry. Recently, the Junior Girl
Scout troop ran a food drive to restock the Interfaith Ministries food pantry.
These girls from Galatas collected more than 50 bags of food. Undeniably,
in addition to feeding hungry bellies, they are feeding the community’s
hunger for a helping hand and a genuine smile.
Senior Girl Scouts Do Yard Clean up After Ike for a Senior Citizen
Girl Scout Troop # 12358 were not able to have their first meeting of the year due to the 100 mile per hour winds which bent trees from leaning to their breaking point. The girls from the troop who were still in town met to decide how they could help. They decided to come to the aid of a senior citizen in the neighborhood who had an abundance of tree branches in her yard. The Senior Girl Scouts were happy to clean their neighbor’s yard. The troop’s co-leader Joy, said, “Everyone felt great helping someone else.”
Girl Scout Helps Neighborhood Rest a Little Better
On Saturday, Sept. 12, hurricane water rose, then slowly tricked through
clogged drains in the neighborhood of Girl Scout Bridget A. 
(age
9) from Troop # 18073. She, along with her mom, her sister and her
friend (both, age 7) picked up a rake without being asked and helped
remove debris from drains in her neighborhood. It was a solemn day
in the neighborhood as everyone walked slowly outside to asses the damage
of their home and the neighborhood. Bridget didn’t quite understand
the purpose of her actions. So, she asked her mom why they were doing
this task. After mom explained the importance clearing the clogged drains,
the girls were eager to help unclog the drains on the other side of the
street as well. Saturday night drifted into quiet darkness as more rain
covered most of the city. The neighborhood fell into a quiet slumber as
rain water ran unobstructed down storm drains on both sides of the street.
Spiky IKEY
Every major force has its own mascot, including Hurricane Ike. Troop # 17299 is nursing a baby squirrel back to health that they affectionately named, “Spiky IKEY.” They also sorted cans at KCM and made birthday cards for children. The girls know that a force of nature cannot be contained, so the troop will release IKEY in 15 weeks.
Girl Scouts from the Baytown area, Stephanie Hinton and Megan Trahan, Troop # 7038 worked at Methodist Hospital in Houston on Monday, Sept, 15 after the storm. Many people in the area suffered damage to their homes and thousands were displaced due to the absence of electrical power. Therefore, the hospital did not have enough kitchen workers. When the troop recognized the need, they jumped to the aid of the patients by delivering food trays all day.
The girls also worked at the Red Cross food preparation station in Baytown washing dishes and large trays. The troop utilized its Girl Scout training: 1 container for scrubbing, another for rinsing and bleach and a third for rinsing again. Funny how camping skills can be used in the real world!
They also worked at First Baptist Church in Baytown washing and folding
hundreds of hurricane volunteer’s clothes.
Girl Scout Danielle H. assisted Oak Ridge High School where she is an 11th grader. Conroe district opened up Oak Ridge High School on Friday before the storm at 5:00 P.M. as a shelter of last resort for folks who wanted to come in and who did not evacuate. On Saturday night after the storm, there were nearly 200 visitors. Most people did not stay over night but stayed only a few hours until they worked out a ride or were able to contact friends or relatives or be transported to another shelter where there was power or medical assistance. Danielle came up to Oak Ridge and assisted in operations including caring for pets that came in without crates. She and her family put the word out for the need for dry clothing and within an hour, there were plenty of dry clothes for flood victims. Danielle also assisted in preparing breakfast on Sunday morning and organized the donated clothing. Many people appreciated her visit with them while there. She demonstrated tremendous leadership and initiative and proved be a real asset.
Copper Corners Girl Scouts Make Goody Bags with Inspirational Words for a Local Shelter
Third grade Brownie troop from Copper Corners used some of their troop funds to purchase toiletry items. The girls assembled them in little baggies. They also added cute little curly ribbons and homemade punched cards with inspirational thoughts. We delivered them to the Bear Creek shelter and the volunteers were thrilled to get them. It was a very small gesture but done with lots of caring girls from Troop # 15774. Two moms who have daughters in the troop Linda Reyna, troop leader and Kathy Price, Co-leader pitched in to help the girls get items sorted and assembled.
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