Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Ashlyn Neathawk of Rochester, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Ashlyn is a member of Troop 60631.

What Ashlyn said about Girl Scouts

Being a Girl Scout has provided me opportunities to collaborate with others and provide service within my community. I met a lot of people who helped me grow in my communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. I learned that through my hard work and good fortune, I could provide for and support others in need.

Project: Project Paper Product

Project Paper Product was designed to supply paper products for the Coldwater Women and Children’s Residential Home in Rochester, NY. Through conversation focused on a needs assessment, I learned that paper products were a need not often met by the community. The root cause of the issue was budgetary constraints and a lack of community awareness.

My goal was to provide paper products necessary for mealtime and personal hygiene. Through advertisement and personal communications, I solicited donations and collected them over a period of a few months. Despite the pandemic, I exceeded my goal and provided paper plates, bowls, cups, napkins, toilet paper, paper towel and facial tissues. When I delivered the paper products, the shelter was overwhelmed by the quantity and generosity of the donors. I was able to collect and donate 1,503 paper plates, 607 paper bowls, 460 paper and plastic cups, 960 napkins, 74 rolls of toilet paper, 21 rolls of paper towels, and 85 boxes of facial tissues.

The project will continue to be sustained by me and my fellow Girl Scouts in the Black Creek Service Unit. As someone who has always recognized the importance of helping others, I learned that through my motivation and leadership, I could encourage others to get involved.

About the Girl Scout Gold Award

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 she can enlist in the military at a higher starting pay grade.

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.

For more information on the Gold Award, click here.