April 29, 2004

Volunteer of the Week: Brownie Troop 224,
Service Unit 42

Last week, Brownie Troop 224 earned another patch for their vests. Not for camping or selling cookies. This patch was a little more unique. The nine members of the troop, its leaders Pam Hudson and Becky Menne and a few tagalong younger siblings, gathered half of their money from Girl Scout Cookies sold and went to the Build-A-Bear store in the Oakridge Shopping Center.

Their mission: To deliver the bears they created, dressed in little Brownie uniforms and sporting lots of ribbons, to the pediatric ward of the Good Samaritan Hospital.

At the hospital, the girls were screened for illnesses and were instructed by Mary McCall, director of Volunteer Services, to wash their hands thoroughly. They lined up quietly, with their “quiet sign” in the air and one hand clutching the cardboard box their bears inhabited.

McCall ushered the girls, their leaders, and the tagalong siblings into the elevator to the pediatric ward. The girls were told to wait quietly, which they did. Their excitement was difficult to contain. McCall lead them into the rooms, in twos, so they could donate their bears.

“They behaved wonderfully and they were so enthusiastic,” says McCall. “The whole idea of it was just so precious. The fact that they would take their cookie money and use it in this way is absolutely astounding.”

There weren’t enough children in the ward to donate all of the bears, so those remaining were left with the nurses to deliver to a sick child in the future.

“They all really want to give their bear to a child,” says Menne.

McCall says, “This will make many children who come into this hospital in the future very happy.”

The CEO of Build-A-Bear, Maxine Clark, was a Girl Scout, and now serves on the Girl Scout National Advisory Board.  The company offers a special program, which offers a special patch to Girl Scouts for their vests.
Build-A-Bear also offered a 10 percent discount to the Brownie troop.

“So many parents and teachers approached me after we did this and told me how wonderful a lesson it has been for the girls,” says Hudson. “Kids love Build-A-Bear, and I think they really understood the meaning of this activity. They were giving something very special to them, to someone else.”

The entire troop attends Holy Spirit Elementary School and is in the second grade. The day after their visit to the hospital, the girls announced their achievement over the loud speaker and they received a standing ovation from their classmates.

The mission of the Girl Scouts is to inspire and empower young women to achieve their full potential. They thrive on preparing girls to contribute to a dynamic local and global society. Guided by adult leadership, girls engage in a variety of activities that help them define themselves and become confident, courageous and compassionate young women.  The Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County currently serves 16,000 girls with the support of 8,000 volunteers.

Brownie Troop 224 has done a variety of different activities, including recording a public service announcement for a Mountain View T.V. station and participating in a program during Christmas called the Family Giving Tree, where they made gifts and ornaments for people in need.

“I really think they understood the sacrifice they were making here,” says Hudson. “They treasure these little bears and they understood why they were giving them away.”

—By Miranda Schultz