Girl Scouts of the Kansas Heartland will be donating gifts and time over the coming weeks to numerous organizations in the 80 counties covered by the Kansas Heartland Council. In Great Bend, the efforts of Girl Scout Troop 11135 will benefit the Golden Belt Humane Society.
The supply drive was held on Saturday, October 19th, in front of Walmart. $612 in food, trash, and cleaning supplies was raised for pets at the shelter.
Troop Leader Cheryl Watts said this is the fourth year the troop has completed a fundraiser for the Golden Belt Humane Society. After obtaining a list of items needed at the evacuation center, they created flyers to hand out in front of the store. Shoppers were asked to consider adding pet food and other essentials to their shopping lists. Many returned with purchased goods or cash donations.
“We had seven grocery carts completely full,” Watts said. The fundraiser lasted four hours.
Other organizations benefiting from the Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland’s 2024 Festival of Giving include Agape Food Bank (Newton), Angels in the Attic (Arkansas City), Child Advocacy Program (Salina), and City Restore ( Hayesville) and Clothes for a Cause. (Derby), Ember of Hope (Goddard and Wichita), New Dawn (Wichita) Nursing Home (all Ellis, Gove, Ness, Russell, and Trego Counties), Heavenly Rest (Andover), and Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center (Scott City). More organizations will be added to the list of organizations that will benefit from acts of service.
More than 1,100 Girl Scouts participate in this annual community service tradition, giving girls an opportunity to give back to their communities by donating items from social service organizations’ wish lists. .
This year’s Festival of Giving is part of the council’s 100th anniversary celebrations. They are celebrating 100 years since the establishment of a nationally recognized council across the current council service area in 1925. As part of this celebration, members are asked to document 100 acts of service completed by Girl Scouts, or 100 ways to give back to the community.
“Making the world a better place is one of the cornerstones of Girl Scouts,” said Chief Operating Officer Jen Ashcraft. “To celebrate our 100th anniversary, we are inviting Girl Scouts to participate in the Festival of Giving to document 100 ways to give to whom and how to serve. At the same time, you will also earn steps to earn badges such as financial literacy, philanthropy, healthy living, and animal care.
