Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Lorena Gambill-Maddox of Grand Junction in the Western Colorado region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community.
GSCO asked Lorena to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did.
Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer?
I was asked by my daughter’s troop leader to be her assistant. I love working with children. When I was younger, I was a Girl Scout and my older sister was my troop leader. My mother was also a troop leader. So when Elisha asked me, I was happy to join such a great organization. It has been a great experience for me.
Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout.
As a Girl Scout volunteer, I have enjoyed giving back to our community. Our troop has done so many different things. We collected food or our local community food bank. We did a clothing drive and took clothes to a neighboring town that was doing a clothing distribution. We have served food at a extended table for those in need. At Christmas, we went Christmas caroling at the V.A. hospital and local nursing home. For two of our local schools, we entered the craft fairs. Learning to make crafts and jewelry to sell taught us about being a business owner. We donated cookies to our local policemen and teachers. It feel so great to give like a G.I.R.L.!
What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer?
I have learned so much as a volunteer. I have a wonderful team of leadership on the western slope to guide me, especially Ashley Douglas, as well as a very knowledgeable service unit leader Rebecca Flesh and our troop leader Elisha Scarbrough is such a inspiring person. Our girls in our troop are fearless. They wanted to earn every badge they could as Juniors, so I made it my goal to learn everything I needed too in order to help them reach their goal– from Simple Cooking to Robotics.
What do you hope girls have learned from you?
I hope that I have taught our girls that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. That it is better to be kind to anyone you meet, because you don’t know why they are acting in the way that they are. Everyone deserves love and kindness. Not to let what others think cloud their beliefs, but to listen without judgement. Then, decide for themselves how they feel. That they are the ones who make themselves happy and successful. I also hope they know how proud of each and every one of them I am.
How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)?
Girls Scouts has helped me become a go-getter because of our girls in our troop wanting to achieve all the badges. I became driven to help them achieve their goal. I am an innovator because I looked for ways to help our community and find ways to give back. Risk-taker because we tried things without knowing how it would turn out, but being determined to be successful in everything we tried. Last, a leader because I had to have confidence in things I wasn’t sure about, knowing whether or not we would succeed, I was there beside them no matter what. Showing each one of them how to be brave.
Girl Scouts is a great opportunity for any girl no matter what her age is. It is such a honor to be apart of such a wonderful organization.
Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org.
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