GOTR Community Projects

As another season of Girls on the Run approaches its finish, its time once again for our community project. This is my fourth time coaching Girls on the Run and in my first season we made cards for Make a Child Smile and Holiday Mail for Heroes (more on my blog GOTR Community Service Project), in my second season we had a bake sale with proceeds benefiting the Helen Woodward Animal Center, (more on my blog Another Season Ends), in my third season we again made cards for the military through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program (more on my blog GOTR Gives Back), and now in my fourth season the girls decided to do a toy/book drive for the Polinsky Center for Children and to also make cards for the kids there.

Holiday Mail for Heroes

The Polinsky Center is an emergency shelter for abused and neglected kids, and it turns out that one of my GOTR girls stayed there prior to joining her new family who has now adopted her. The girls had an easy time bringing books and toys to donate, but then struggled a bit coming up with cards to write for kids at the center. I suggested that they keep the cards light and upbeat, with general phrases like "Hope you have a good summer" and "Thinking about you". At one point the girl who had stayed at the center said to me "I just don't know what to write". I didn't want to make her uncomfortable by letting her know that another coach had told me she had confided in them about having stayed there herself, so I said "Well, what is a nice thing you can say that someone there might want to hear? Maybe something general?"  She said something that broke my heart for a second and made me just want to hug her (I restrained myself) ... she said "Um I don't know ...  'It gets better'?) Aww. :o( Tear. I hope that's the case for most of the kids!

Cards for the Polinsky Center

The girls ended up making some cute cards and brought a nice pile of their own toys and books to donate.  In addition to my site, there are 14 other groups of Girls on the Run in San Diego county! I reached out to the other coaches to see what their girls came up with. It was heartwarming to see the variety of projects that the kids had decided on. Some of the other projects were:

• Carving soap for a nursing home
• Picking up trash and recyclables at a school
• Collecting donations for an animal shelter
• Creating a lemonade stand with proceeds to benefit an animal shelter
• Making signs for the police, fire department, and border patrol
• Making bracelets and cards for Make a Child Smile and Love Letters
• Trash pickup and signs to encourage recycling

Cards for Make A Child Smile & Love Letters

Donation Drive for the Rancho Coastal Humane Society

Carving Soap for a Nursing Home

Appreciation Signs for the Police, Fire Department, & Border Patrol

Cards for the Polinsky Center

Help the World - Recycle!

Lemonade Stand/Bake Sale with Proceeds Towards the Humane Society

Track Pickup at a Community Center

I love this part of the Girls of the Run curriculum and it seems that the girls really enjoy it too. Is it ever too early to learn to give back? I don't think so! Philanthropy should begin at an early age to not only help us appreciate what it is that we have, but to put in perspective what we  and others don't have, and to help us find joy in the simple ways we can help others.  As far as Girls on the Run goes, I joined so I could give back to girls in my community, but by way of volunteering I have found that the program has enriched my own life  as well. Funny how that happens right? Give back and you'll get so much more back in return. :o)