Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Micaela Deutsch of Rochester, NY, as a 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout. Deutsch’s project was titled “H.O.P.E. Car Care Kits.”

Deutsch explained, “For my project, I collected hygiene products and assembled 500 hygiene bags for the homeless community in Rochester. The kits are intended for car owners to distribute if they come across a homeless person while driving. The kits are pre-made and ready to be handed out the car window. I decided to focus my project on homelessness because I did a research paper my freshman year of high school about chronic homelessness. I was intrigued by the relationship between poverty and homelessness. Another reason I focused on homelessness is because the city of Rochester is the poorest city of its size. I worked with Saint Pius X Church to hold my donation collection and bag assembly event. I also worked with the House of Mercy homeless shelter where I delivered the majority of the bags. My project impacted the community by bringing awareness to the issue of homelessness as well as providing an easy way for people to help. I participated in a run on Christmas day that ended at the House of Mercy. I delivered many of my bags to the people there and got to sing Christmas carols with the people as well. For the continuation of my project, I posted a YouTube video on how to make the hygiene bags. I also created flyers with information about the hygiene bags that I put in libraries, YMCA locations, and local cafes.”

Deutsch added, “Girl Scouting has taught me to be more confident in myself to take on challenges, such as the Gold Award. I have also improved my communication skills and networking skills by reaching out to businesses and organizations about projects my troop has completed.”

Deutsch will receive her Gold Award at the Gold Award Ceremony on June 1, 2019. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls.

The Gold Award project is the culmination of all the work a girl puts into “going for the Gold.” A Girl Scout’s project should be something that a girl can be passionate about—in thought, deed, and action that encompasses organizational, leadership, and networking skills. The project should also fulfill a need within a girl’s community (whether local or global) and create change that has the potential to be on-going or sustainable. Approximately 80 hours of community service are involved in the project. Completion of the Gold Award also qualifies the Girl Scout for special scholarship opportunities and to enter the military a full rank higher than her peers.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the most prestigious award in the world for girls, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. These young women are courageous leaders and visionary change makers.

The Gold Award requires a Girl Scout to identify an issue and investigate it to understand what can be done to address the problem. The girl then forms a team to act as a support system, including a project advisor close to the issue who is not a troop leader or family member, while she leads the project. The Girl Scout creates a plan to ensure they know what steps they must tackle while working on the project. The Girl Scout submits a proposal for her project to her local Girl Scout council. After acceptance, the girl begins to work through the steps of their plan utilizing the assistance of her support team where necessary. Lastly, the project is used to educate and inspire others about the cause they are addressing.

To learn more, visit gswny.org.