Three members of Girl Scout Troop 1046 earned their Silver Award by stocking hygiene closets at three Jackson County schools with essential supplies for students in need.
Layla Allen, Lizzy Clevenger and Emilie West collected toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and other hygiene products. Allen said the troop spent months collecting supplies through donation drives and booths at community events.
“Hygiene products can be really expensive,” Allen said, “And so I knew that it would be, that’s hard for some people to acquire hygiene products, and so we wanted to make it easier for people to get hygiene products.”
Troop Leader Melissa Clevenger said the girls also volunteered at community events while using those opportunities to gather products for the project.
“I didn’t know if we’d be able to complete the project, but these girls worked so hard all summer,” Clevenger said. “They gave up their summer pretty much to work at different community events just to gather supplies.”
Lizzy Clevenger helped gather donations and assemble the individual bags. Clevenger said putting the bags together took several days because of the amount of material the troop collected.
West said the project could also help students avoid the social consequences that can come with not having access to basic hygiene products.
“So like if they couldn’t afford it, they could finally get it and like people wouldn’t be rude to them if they didn’t have it,” West said.
The community support continued throughout the project. Troop leader Melissa Clevenger said residents responded to the troop’s requests on social media, and one donor tracked the troop down at a fall festival to contribute additional hygiene products after the formal drive had ended.
“Absolutely, and it just reminds you of how close-knit our community is,” Clevenger said. “Because people came that they, we posted on our local social media and they saw our need and they found us.”
Clevenger said the troop also connected the schools with other suppliers that can help replenish the closets as the donated products run out. West estimated the supplies collected through the project could last at least a year.
Allen said completing the project gave the Silver Award a personal meaning beyond the work required to earn it.
“It shows that I’m a valued member in our community,” Allen said.
The project also gave the troop a clearer picture of needs that exist locally. Clevenger said the experience encouraged the girls to consider other ways they could serve Jackson County.
“Absolutely, and it makes you want to find what is the next need that we can help with,” Clevenger said.
The girls will eventually pursue individual Gold Award projects. Allen reaches eligibility first, while Lizzy Clevenger and West will become eligible later. Melissa Clevenger said the troop has discussed future possibilities including a combined food pantry and little library in an underserved area of Jackson County.