Girl Scout Troop 1644 Completes Bronze Project

Five Girl Scout Juniors finished their bronze project on March 6 by using a Kid Kindness grant from the organization Kindness Grows Here to make 41 backpacks for Backpacks of Love.

Backpacks of Love is an organization that gives backpacks full of supplies to kids as they enter foster care. When these kids enter foster care, it is normally an emergency and things happen quickly. In most cases, these children have few belongings. Even worse, the few items these children have are often thrown in trash bags.

This is where The Blue Ribbon Project’s Backpacks of Love steps in. Whenever someone enters foster care, The Blue Ribbon project is notified by the Department of Social Services and a bag is brought immediately to the child’s location.

The Troop 1644 Girl Scouts — Reagan Dent, Madison Guercio, Katherine Nolan, Sophia Celeste and Marcy Malanowski — had to complete a leadership journey and then look in their community to find ways that they could make a difference. The girls collected backpacks, did a clothing drive and a toiletry drive, got gift cards from local businesses, and were awarded the Kid Kindness grant from Kindness Grows Here.

The girls worked hard to make 41 backpacks.  Each bag needed pajamas, two shirts, two pants, underwear, socks, a book, a toy, a stuffed animal, a blanket, a journal, a pen, and appropriate toiletries for the children’s age and gender.

It was a rewarding experience, the girls confirmed.

"I wanted to help kids that were worried and scared," Marcy said.

Kate said, "I wanted to help kids when their whole life was changing!"

Added Reagan, "I wanted to help because I don't believe kids belongings should be in trash bags."