Howdy My Darling Followers,
Something I totally forgot when I was blogging is that you always need to thank everybody. And I mean everybody. I thanked my best friend's mum because she told me not to give up.
So how to you thank somebody? Look up everybody you might've even been with you during your project. I wrote a paragraph for everybody who helped me. Well, eveybody except the shelter I helped at. I wrote two for them, asking if I could come back again, too.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Looking Back
Hi Bloggers,
Looking back on my project, I don't regret a thing. I don't regret the fact that I started later than I should have. I don't regret that I didn't know nearly about my community as I had thought. And I definatley don't regret the fact that I helped some people.
Starting later definatly felt like a penalty in the begining. But as I started working on it, I felt pushed to do better than I would have done if I had started earlier.
Learning about all the shelters in my area has definatly got me to do more. Even just during the summer, I've started walking for causes more and even helped out at a food shelter.
Collecting the books and blankets was really fun. But the thing that really opened my eyes was working with the kids. They were so cute and innocent. It was awful thinking about the children ever being in an abusive setting. Who could do that to a child?
By doing this project, I feel I've learned not only about others, but about myself. I work better under pressure. I never would of thought that was true. I learned that I like working with people...a lot. As a result as all of this, I hope to go back and work with the kids again.
Looking back on my project, I don't regret a thing. I don't regret the fact that I started later than I should have. I don't regret that I didn't know nearly about my community as I had thought. And I definatley don't regret the fact that I helped some people.
Starting later definatly felt like a penalty in the begining. But as I started working on it, I felt pushed to do better than I would have done if I had started earlier.
Learning about all the shelters in my area has definatly got me to do more. Even just during the summer, I've started walking for causes more and even helped out at a food shelter.
Collecting the books and blankets was really fun. But the thing that really opened my eyes was working with the kids. They were so cute and innocent. It was awful thinking about the children ever being in an abusive setting. Who could do that to a child?
By doing this project, I feel I've learned not only about others, but about myself. I work better under pressure. I never would of thought that was true. I learned that I like working with people...a lot. As a result as all of this, I hope to go back and work with the kids again.
Arrangements
Hola Amigos!
Something extremely important when donating is that everything you donate is clean. So all the 30+ blankets went in the washing machine, even though it was being stupid and refused to wash anything well. This took up a lot of the time of my project. (Fifteen hours!)
After the blankets were washed, I called the Friendly House to make sure I could still drop the donations off. She assured me I could. While I had her on the phone, I asked the manager if I could come and work with the kids as part of my "people part" of my project. She said I should come make cupcakes at Halloween.
I e-mailed my council and they said all parts of the project had to be completed before the day I sent my papers in. Due to this little mishap, I called her back, and asked if I could come a bit earlier. Sure, I could. They were kids. As long as they had some sugar, they would be fine.
So that's what I did last Tuesday right after cheer practice. It felt awesome to help out with the kids. Most of them spoke Spanish, so that's a lesson to any kids who may read this: always pay attention in your foreign language classes because if you don't your going to end up miming with children trying to figure out what they meant.
About two weeks earlier, my best friend and I went with my mom to drop off the books and blankets. I think the woman inside was impressed. She told us how great it was that we wanted to help our communities. But I wasn't looking for somebody to praise my actions, I just wanted to help.
Something extremely important when donating is that everything you donate is clean. So all the 30+ blankets went in the washing machine, even though it was being stupid and refused to wash anything well. This took up a lot of the time of my project. (Fifteen hours!)
After the blankets were washed, I called the Friendly House to make sure I could still drop the donations off. She assured me I could. While I had her on the phone, I asked the manager if I could come and work with the kids as part of my "people part" of my project. She said I should come make cupcakes at Halloween.
I e-mailed my council and they said all parts of the project had to be completed before the day I sent my papers in. Due to this little mishap, I called her back, and asked if I could come a bit earlier. Sure, I could. They were kids. As long as they had some sugar, they would be fine.
So that's what I did last Tuesday right after cheer practice. It felt awesome to help out with the kids. Most of them spoke Spanish, so that's a lesson to any kids who may read this: always pay attention in your foreign language classes because if you don't your going to end up miming with children trying to figure out what they meant.
About two weeks earlier, my best friend and I went with my mom to drop off the books and blankets. I think the woman inside was impressed. She told us how great it was that we wanted to help our communities. But I wasn't looking for somebody to praise my actions, I just wanted to help.
Getting Donations
Hi Again,
Unfortunately, for two weeks I went to check the boxes, and for two weeks, nothing happened. Then my best friend told me about a website. On this site, you could post what you were looking for or what you had that you didn't want to go to waste. Here, I posted that I was looking for new or gently used blankets and books.
Within four days, I'd gotten three responses. One lady's daughter had previously had cancer but had won and had over ten blankets she wanted to donate. Another lady had gone through teaching herself all kinds of things. And one man had lots of kids who'd got older, so he donated all the teenager books he had.
Lucky for me, some people had started taking notice of my boxes and started dropping off all their blankets and books. As I expected, there were a lot of books I really couldn't use, but a lot of the books were really nice. Plus, there were tons of blankets being dropped off too. Eventually, there was no room left in my room for anymore blankets or books.
At this point, my dad helped me load the boxes into his truck and we took them away. The sign was taken down but about a week later, I got a call saying that somebody had left even more blankets at the library. Thankfully, it was the last one I got.
Unfortunately, for two weeks I went to check the boxes, and for two weeks, nothing happened. Then my best friend told me about a website. On this site, you could post what you were looking for or what you had that you didn't want to go to waste. Here, I posted that I was looking for new or gently used blankets and books.
Within four days, I'd gotten three responses. One lady's daughter had previously had cancer but had won and had over ten blankets she wanted to donate. Another lady had gone through teaching herself all kinds of things. And one man had lots of kids who'd got older, so he donated all the teenager books he had.
Lucky for me, some people had started taking notice of my boxes and started dropping off all their blankets and books. As I expected, there were a lot of books I really couldn't use, but a lot of the books were really nice. Plus, there were tons of blankets being dropped off too. Eventually, there was no room left in my room for anymore blankets or books.
At this point, my dad helped me load the boxes into his truck and we took them away. The sign was taken down but about a week later, I got a call saying that somebody had left even more blankets at the library. Thankfully, it was the last one I got.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Donations
My Fellow Bloggers,
I want to tell you something very important. In Girl Scouts, if we use any money at all, we have to fill out tons of paperwork. Bleh. So, to avoid as much paperwork as possible, I tried to get companies to donate what I needed for my project.
Honestly, the only material items I needed that I didn't already own were boxes. I definatley needed boxes for the collection.
Immediatly I went to the box company in my town. I asked the manager there I could have two boxes for my project and he told me to go upstairs and ask the owner. He was so nice andd told me as long as it was for Girl Scouts, I could have as many boxes as I needed.
Now, where do I set up my boxes? I had three really good places I could''ve set up. I could have put my boxes at the Town Hall, the library, or the grade school. It was the middle of summer, so it wouldn't have worked all that well. The Town Hall might've worked, but I knew not a lot of people went to the Town Hall for more than once in two weeks.
So I went to the library. I love the library and it's huge so a lot of people go there, even during the summer. Again, I asked the manager if I could leave boxes there. She said I could because it was for a good cause. I guess everybody loves teenagers doing good deeds.
So we left the boxes in the library. One in each entrance. And even better, my message was put on local television, in the newspaper, and even on the sign in the center of town. I was so excited! Something was finally going to happen.
I want to tell you something very important. In Girl Scouts, if we use any money at all, we have to fill out tons of paperwork. Bleh. So, to avoid as much paperwork as possible, I tried to get companies to donate what I needed for my project.
Honestly, the only material items I needed that I didn't already own were boxes. I definatley needed boxes for the collection.
Immediatly I went to the box company in my town. I asked the manager there I could have two boxes for my project and he told me to go upstairs and ask the owner. He was so nice andd told me as long as it was for Girl Scouts, I could have as many boxes as I needed.
Now, where do I set up my boxes? I had three really good places I could''ve set up. I could have put my boxes at the Town Hall, the library, or the grade school. It was the middle of summer, so it wouldn't have worked all that well. The Town Hall might've worked, but I knew not a lot of people went to the Town Hall for more than once in two weeks.
So I went to the library. I love the library and it's huge so a lot of people go there, even during the summer. Again, I asked the manager if I could leave boxes there. She said I could because it was for a good cause. I guess everybody loves teenagers doing good deeds.
So we left the boxes in the library. One in each entrance. And even better, my message was put on local television, in the newspaper, and even on the sign in the center of town. I was so excited! Something was finally going to happen.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Hello Again,
After what happened at the Senior Center, I was desperate to find a new project. I started calling anybody who might need any help at all. I called the Red Cross, (after all a few of my friends had been touched by the hurricane), emailed shelters, and even called the American Legion.
The American Legion wanted me to plant gardens. I was gun-ho! After all, I needed a project, right?
But then I realized. Who was going to need a garden? I knew that many people would've liked a garden, but the location was not great. Plus, I really wouldn't have liked making a garden. I'm not good with plants, and I like working with people.
But what was I going to do? I went online and searched homeless shelters. What I found was a bit startling. The website I was on had over thirty shelters within twenty miles of my house.
How could that possibly be? I thought I lived in a great neighborhood. Could there possibly be that many people in homeless shelters?
So, I minimized my search. I looked for abuse shelters. And I found one I thought would be good. The shelter was the Friendly House. The phone number was on the website and I called the manager.
She was really nice and told me they could use blankets and books. I decided I would organize a donation box. And that's how my project started.
After what happened at the Senior Center, I was desperate to find a new project. I started calling anybody who might need any help at all. I called the Red Cross, (after all a few of my friends had been touched by the hurricane), emailed shelters, and even called the American Legion.
The American Legion wanted me to plant gardens. I was gun-ho! After all, I needed a project, right?
But then I realized. Who was going to need a garden? I knew that many people would've liked a garden, but the location was not great. Plus, I really wouldn't have liked making a garden. I'm not good with plants, and I like working with people.
But what was I going to do? I went online and searched homeless shelters. What I found was a bit startling. The website I was on had over thirty shelters within twenty miles of my house.
How could that possibly be? I thought I lived in a great neighborhood. Could there possibly be that many people in homeless shelters?
So, I minimized my search. I looked for abuse shelters. And I found one I thought would be good. The shelter was the Friendly House. The phone number was on the website and I called the manager.
She was really nice and told me they could use blankets and books. I decided I would organize a donation box. And that's how my project started.
A Rocky Start
Hello Bloggers,
Before I start this post, first, I want to apologize for only posting once. At the end of the school year I was bombarded with homework. And then this summer I was wicked busy. We had a Spanish exchange student, a few parties, and I was so extremely busy working on my Silver Award Project, plus, I kind of forgot I had been blogging. But enough with the excuses.
The first project I was going to work on was fixing up my town's Senior Citizen sign. Now, I'm not going to lie and say that I was totally involved with the seniors in my town. My Girl Scout troup meets at our nursing home, so I knew a lot of the elderly, however I honestly didn't even know we had a Senior Center. I wasn't all that interested in the Senior Center, but I love people, plus, I go to a technical trade high school, and I hope to study carpenrty, so it could be a really awesome project, right?
I asked the manager of the Senior Center if I could fix up the sign for my project. She told me I could because she really wanted somebody to fix it up. I jumped right on the oppourtunity and started making calls. I must have finished at least an hour and a half of work, had gotten all my papers signed, and BOOM! I get a call.
A janitor had just signed up to work on the sign instead. Great. So I had to cancel out all the work I'd just done. How awful did that feel? I broke down and cried. Which is something I really don't do. But I was so stressed. I had a great project taken from right under my feet.
Before I start this post, first, I want to apologize for only posting once. At the end of the school year I was bombarded with homework. And then this summer I was wicked busy. We had a Spanish exchange student, a few parties, and I was so extremely busy working on my Silver Award Project, plus, I kind of forgot I had been blogging. But enough with the excuses.
The first project I was going to work on was fixing up my town's Senior Citizen sign. Now, I'm not going to lie and say that I was totally involved with the seniors in my town. My Girl Scout troup meets at our nursing home, so I knew a lot of the elderly, however I honestly didn't even know we had a Senior Center. I wasn't all that interested in the Senior Center, but I love people, plus, I go to a technical trade high school, and I hope to study carpenrty, so it could be a really awesome project, right?
I asked the manager of the Senior Center if I could fix up the sign for my project. She told me I could because she really wanted somebody to fix it up. I jumped right on the oppourtunity and started making calls. I must have finished at least an hour and a half of work, had gotten all my papers signed, and BOOM! I get a call.
A janitor had just signed up to work on the sign instead. Great. So I had to cancel out all the work I'd just done. How awful did that feel? I broke down and cried. Which is something I really don't do. But I was so stressed. I had a great project taken from right under my feet.
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