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Girl Scouts of WNY announces Emma Nelk as a 2020 Gold Award Girl Scout

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Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Emma Nelk of Pittsford, NY, as a 2020 Gold Award Girl Scout. Nelk’s created her project, Grief is Different for Everyone: A Teen’s Point of View, to help teens deal with a sudden loss in their family.


Nelk worked with the Tragedy Assistance Program (TAPS) and the NYS Veteran’s Outreach Program to create an informational pamphlet aimed at teens who have lost a loved one in the military. “I focused on teens because there wasn’t much information to help my age group deal with the loss of a sibling or loved one,” said Emma Nelk. Nelk is currently working with TAPS to distribute the pamphlet she created on a national scale.


Nelk said that “Girl Scouts opened me up to making new friends and new experiences. It encourages me to step out of my comfort zone.”


By earning her Gold Award during the 2020 Girl Scouting year, Nelk will be included in a virtual acknowledgment this June. All 2020 Gold Award Girl Scouts will receive the option to be a part of the 2021 in-person Gold Award ceremony next year to receive their Gold Award pin. 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 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.

To learn more, visit gswny.org.

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Gold Award Girl Scout Anna Jegierski shows the sustainability of her project

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A major component of a Gold Award project is its sustainability, so we love hearing how Anna and her sister Paige are continuing this work!

Girl Scout alum Anna Jegierski was home from Alfred State College for winter break and continued to spread the word and Take Action for Danny’s Helping Hands.

Danny’s Helping Hands was part of Anna’s 2019 Gold Award project and has been serving the students at Alden Middle School since the Fall of 2018.

Recently, Anna discussed her project and collected 4 large boxes of hygiene products that were generously donated by the Alden Garden Club. She then delivered the items to the Alden Middle School for use by students in need. A hygiene cabinet and bank account were established as part of the project, and both benefit students who are being bullied due to lack of good personal hygiene.

Anna has been receiving help with carrying on this project from her sister, Paige, an Ambassador Girl Scout currently working towards her own Gold Award Project. Anna is happy that she still receives support for Danny’s Helping Hands from the kind and generous community of Alden. Anna shared her thanks for the ladies of the Alden Garden Club!

Today, we remember and honor all Veterans

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This Veterans Day, we salute all of the servicemen and servicewomen who keep our country safe each and every day, especially our Girl Scout sisters.

From sending Girl Scout Cookies overseas to marching in military parades, Girl Scouts all over the country send support to military servicemen and women all year long.

Darya from Troop 30079 delivering donated Girl Scout cookies to Frontiersmen VFW POST 7545 Tonawanda NY

Danielle’s Gold Award Story

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[The following was submitted to GSWNY from Danielle’s mother and troop leader Elizabeth Bellis.]

Danielle Bellis loves soccer. She started playing in the local league’s in-house program when she was five years old. She has since played on the league’s travel team, and the school’s modified, junior varsity, and now varsity teams. She worked as a referee for the league’s in-house program and volunteered as a coach for an ad-hoc preschool program they were considering. Then when Dani decided to go for her Girl Scout Gold Award, which requires completing a sustainable community service project, something soccer-related seemed like a logical choice.

The league president suggested she create an official preschool soccer program that they would maintain in the future and offer free. Dani jumped at the idea of creating a soccer program for the community. She could share her love of soccer while starting young kids on the road to a healthy lifestyle of physical activity, self-confidence, and team work. As she considered the benefits the program could provide the community, she realized her program could benefit more than just the preschool kids.

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This was also an opportunity to get older kids involved as coaches and encourage them to start volunteering in their community. She could create a coaching packet to make it easy to coach even without any soccer experience.

This past spring Danielle did just that. She created a teen-led and coached soccer program for preschool age kids and called it “First Kicks.” She put together a coaching binder of activities and games, as well as a few coaching tips. She registered 60 preschool participants and recruited nine teenage coaches beside herself. She ran a six-week program with two 45 minute sessions on Saturdays, one for 3-year-olds and one for 4-year-olds.

At the end of the season, Danielle provided the league with all the materials it needs to continue the free program including an annual schedule and budget, advertising materials, a list of contacts, and the coaching binders.

Danielle completed the requirements of the community service project and earned her gold award. She will graduate this spring and plans to continue volunteering for the First Kicks program.

Gold Award Girl Scout Chris Belin reflects on what Girl Scouts taught her and the importance of the program for girls

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[Below is a guest post written by Gold Award Girl Scout Chris Belin]

My name is Chris Belin.  I am a 38 year-old self-employed Health and Business Coach living in East Amherst, NY.  Just over 20 years ago, I earned my Girl Scout Gold Award, and to this day, it is still one of my proudest moments!

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That’s me on the left!

I became a Girl Scout when I was 6 years old.  I still remember our meetings in a church basement!  Learning the Girl Scout Promise, selling cookies, and singing songs.  Within a few years, I went to Girl Scout Camp and volunteered in the community at soup kitchens and homeless shelters.  But, as I got older, it became more difficult to juggle my school work, sports, social life and Girl Scout activities.  I wanted to quit.  But, my Mom, not a Girl Scout herself, refused to let me.  She knew the impact it had on me and the community.  She said “this is your commitment and you are going to finish it!”

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Me with my mother at the Gold Award Ceremony

While in high school, I earned my Silver Award, and without much time in between, I began working on my Gold Award.  My first two ideas were rejected by Council.  I was so upset and shocked actually!  But looking back, I see why.  It would have been too easy!  I really needed to push myself and do more for others.  I began a project of Female Empowerment with young girls in my community.  It lasted three months and was an amazing experience for them and me. I learned just how powerful one person can be, no matter their age!  Nothing else could have better prepared me for college, and later….working full time, motherhood, and entrepreneurship!

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Me and other members of my troop at the Gold Awards

I am now a wife and mom of two kids, an 8-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son.  Raising kids is a lot of work and it certainly “takes a village”.  For that reason, and many others, we are and will always be a Scouting family. Girl Scouts is a great resource in teaching so many important life skills to my daughter, such as leadership, contribution, healthy relationships, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, etc. I am not aware of any other organization that does all that!

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When I was a Girl Scout, I didn’t fully understand why we sold cookies. Through my daughter’s experience, I learned that the Girl Scout Cookie Sale is the largest entrepreneurial program for girls in the world!  As an entrepreneur myself, I love that! It has taught my daughter how to be confident, how to talk to people, how to shake hands, how to manage money and deadlines, etc.  She was her troop’s top seller this year!

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I am thrilled to be part of my daughter’s own Scout experience.  She is learning, growing, and having fun!  If you have a daughter, I urge you to check out a local meeting, and find a troop that is right for her.  You will be so glad you did!

Chris Belin

Mompreneur & Founder, Design Your Days Nutrition

716-207-0134

chris@chrisbelin.com

One Week Left in Spring Renewal!

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We’re in the last week of May and the LAST WEEK for SPRING RENEWAL! This means if you haven’t renewed your Girl Scouts membership for next year, now is the time to mark the task off your list while qualifying for sweet rewards!

MY 2019 Spring Renewal Flyer

As you can see above, there are still some amazing prizes up for grabs, like a drawing for some Amazon and GSWNY gift cards as well as savings at our store! Even better, all girls and co-leaders who renew by May 31 will automatically receive SAGE Tuition Points, aka FREE MONEY FOR COLLEGE!

What are you waiting for? Renew your membership today!