Inspired by her troop’s annual support of the TGTHR nonprofit, Jasmine created a sustainable pipeline of volunteers through local organizations to donate gifts to TGTHR every year around the holidays to be given to teens experiencing homelessness. Her program will ensure that teens in need in her community will continue to receive gifts every year even though her Girl Scout troop is bridging to adult members this year.
Jasmine shares her experiences from her Gold Award project.
My troop has organized and participated in a volunteer project that provides personalized gift donations to homeless youth in Boulder for the past 6 years, and have done other work with the homeless for the past 7+ years. This project is something that has meant so much to me, being able to spread joy to many, but I knew that after the girls in my troop graduated high school, we would no longer be able to continue it. For my Gold Award Project, I set up a document to be passed on to the homeless shelter, which included many resources and contacts so that they could easily carry on this project in the future. This was an amazing opportunity to educate others on the real issues that our community faces, and to spread awareness on the need for inclusivity and empathy, which are some of my personal values. Being a Girl Scout means having these incredible opportunities to make real change within society, and to use my power, as a girl, to benefit many others.