Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Angelica Tober of Hamburg, NY, as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout. Angelica is a member of Troop 30856.

Project: Veteran Awareness Quilts

My Gold Award project was to make quilts for veterans to honor and thank them for their service and presenting them in a ceremony to the veteran with their family and friends. I got other youth together to help them make the quilts. We bought and washed the fabric, cut the fabric into kits and sewed them together, then put together the ceremonies. We made the quilts at my grandmother Mary’s house .

The ceremonies were held at multiple locations including Warbird Park, Myrtle Beach, SC; Memorial Park, Hamburg, NY; one of the youth’s home in Hamburg, NY; and at my grandparents’ home in Hamburg, NY. The community that my project served included the military, local Girl Scouts, local Boy Scouts and family members in western Erie County. It also served the South Carolina community where one of my quilts was presented.

Altogether, my project served 6 veterans with the help of 7 youth and 3 adults. My project benefited others by showing our appreciation for the veterans. It also gave the youth a sense of accomplishment by making the quilts and it gave them the opportunity to see how touched each veteran was when receiving their quilt. We all improved our leadership and public speaking skills.

The issue my project addressed was that our veterans were not welcomed home with open arms upon returning and many had health and physical issues as well. The impact that I hoped to make was that each veteran was shown that their sacrifices were not in vain. They gave so much for our country and I wanted to let them know that their country just wants to say thank you!

The national and global link of my project is through the Quilts of Valor Foundation. As of August 28, 2021, there have been 280,883 quilts awarded to service members since 2003. This movement has spread across the United States and even has an international presence. Out of that number, there have been approximately 150+ quilts awarded just in our area and these numbers increase daily. The Under Our Wings branch is not yet well known but through this project it will be better recognized.

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.