Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council Recent Programs

GIRL SCOUTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON:
EMPOWERING GIRLS FOR COMMUNITY ACTION.
Teresa Woods, Manager of the East King County Office of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington (425) 614-1126, reported on the work of the Girl Scouts in our area.

Girl Scouts is the pre-eminent organization devoted solely to girls. Grounded in the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, it offers girls a safe, supportive environment.

Partnering with caring adults, girls design fun and challenging activities that empower them to discover, connect, and take action around issues that concern them, serving more than 27,000 girls ages 5-17 in Western Washington.

Girl Scouts of Western Washington sponsors several outreach programs.

• Girl Scouts Skills for Life
  Geared toward girls living in public housing communities - many of whom are immigrants with limited access to out-of-school activities - participants learn life skills such as time and stress management, how to make healthy and safe choices, and how to investigate careers.
• Girl Scouts Fostering a Future
  Girl Scouts Fostering a Future serves girls ages 5-17 who have been removed from their homes by the state due to abuse or neglect and placed in foster homes. First of its kind in the nation, this unique program was designed to address the instability and social needs faced by girls in foster care.
• Girls Scouts Beyond Bars
  A program for daughters of incarcerated mothers, activities are designed to build self-esteem and life skills and include monthly meetings planned by moms and held at Washington State Corrections Center facilities.
• Girl Scouting in the School Day
  Girl Scouts meet weekly in the classroom during the school day at several local elementary schools. Activities are designed and taught by Girl Scouts staff to meet the teachers' academic goals for the students.

Volunteer Opportunities: There are many ways that you and your congregation can help Girl Scouts of Western Washington support girls on the Eastside. Some ideas:

• Meeting Rooms (either Free or a minimal cost) for troop meeting and events. (This is currently their biggest need.)this is currently our biggest need.
• For Girl Scouts Beyond Bars and Foster a Future, there are approximately 5 girls on the Eastside who need mentors and volunteers to provide them with transportation to and from meetings.
• Opportunities for Troops/Girls to Participate in Community Service. Troops are always looking for opportunities to help in the community. Troops can help provide meals, organize drives for blankets, food, and other necessary supplies. Ideally when donating/doing a drive/participating in any community service, GSWW would like to participants to complete the circle, to hear and/or see what/how their community service has impacted/made a difference. For example, when doing a warm coat drive, the Service Unit typically invites a spokesperson to talk with the participating troops to share the impact that their service project made in the community and how much of a difference they have made.
• To Serve God Awards. Each congregation can promote the To Serve God Award which encourages participating scouts to explore and better understand their particular faith tradition. Some 27 different faith traditions have produced resources that help scouts keep their promise "to serve God." These resources are available directly from each religious organization and additional information is available from Girl Scouts.
• Experts. Girl Scouts are always looking for "experts", people who are passionate about what they do, to share their passion with troops. For example, perhaps you are passionate about sewing or hiking or photography or you or someone you know is from another country and can share information about the language, history and culture. Think about the things you know and enjoy and take time to share them with a troop.