A core character pillar in Girl Scouts is civic responsibility. That is why so many Girl Scouts in Central and Southern New Jersey choose community-based projects when they work to earn badges and awards.
This holiday season was no exception. The Girl Scouts of Troop 81430 in North Brunswick chose to take on a project that would help some of the most disadvantaged children in the community.
The girls of Troop 81430 know how much joy the holiday season brings to them and their families. They wanted to bring the same type of joy to other children. The troop collected personal funds and asked for donations from family and friends. They used this money to purchase holiday gifts for the families staying at the Ozanam Family Shelter in Edison.
The Ozanam Family Shelter provides shelter for 16 single women and 26 families. Services include temporary and emergency lodging, meals, physical and mental health assessments, crisis counseling, assistance with housing, employment and children’s educational placement, case management and referrals.
The girls were so excited to go shopping and imagined how happy the children would be when they saw their gifts. What the girls learned, is that they too received a gift. The staff at Ozanam Family Shelter explained how their act of kindness would have deep meaning to these residents. Their hearts will be warmed knowing that someone else in the community was thinking about them and took action.
Troop 81430 includes Amaly Safri, a seventh grade cadette from Sayreville Middle School; Hana Elsayed, an eighth grade cadette from North Brunswick Middle School; Sarah Abujazar, a seventh grade cadette from North Brunswick Middle School; Mariam Abujazar, a ninth grade senior from North Brunswick Township High School; and Saida Tigharghar, the troop leader for the past four years.
- This article was submitted by the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey
