ST LOUIS — National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, celebrated Nov. 5-11, recognizes shelters and volunteers who care for millions of displaced animals across America. One Girl Scout troop from Afton, MO, decided to take action and support local animal shelters to earn their Girl Scout Bronze Award.
After learning how many pets end up in animal shelters each year, Kennedy Coates, Gwen Guth, Celia Osterhagen, Karis Piatchek, Clair Ruhl, Cordelia Wagner, and Ava Wiegand partnered with the Humane Society of Missouri to address the issue of pet homelessness by building a doghouse for the Animal Cruelty Task Force to use when investigating animal neglect.
These Girl Scouts also made blankets and toys using fleece, recycled plastic water bottles and discarded socks. Finally, they created a presentation about their project and shared it with another local Girl Scout troop. During their presentation, the girls also set up activity stations to teach the younger girls the importance of caring for their pets.
The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Juniors, girls in 4th-5th grade can achieve. It requires girls to identify a need in their community and dedicate more than 20 hours on average toward addressing and solving the issue. When Girl Scout Juniors focus on an issue they care about, learn the facts, take action to make a difference, and gain the confidence and skills that catapult them to lifelong success.
To learn more about these projects and Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Highest Awards, visit girlscoutsem.org/highestawards.
We’re Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscoutsem.org.