By Catherine Amoriello
At Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania (GSHPA), our volunteers are the heart and soul of what we do. They’re our troop leaders; our subject matter experts and educators; our cookie chairs; our camp facilitators; and most importantly, our champions of girls.
Girl Scout volunteers’ impact reaches farther than a single group of girls, and it lasts far longer than one or two seasons of Girl Scouts. Check out these five ways you impact your community long-term by volunteering with Girl Scouts.
You are helping the next generation of women leaders grow and learn.
When you teach a Brownie about pollinators or help a Cadette complete her Silver Award project, you’re not just helping a young girl learn something new – you’re helping her transform into a self-sufficient female leader. Girl Scouts grow up to accomplish great things, and they often carry what they learn in scouting into adulthood. As a Girl Scout volunteer, you can help guide girls toward their unique paths of confidence and success.
You have the power to give back and support community organizations and members.
Community service is a huge component of Girl Scouting. With the goal of making the world a better place, you will stand alongside Girl Scouts as they choose how to complete this mission. From collecting donations for animal shelters, to helping clean up local parks, to creating more inclusive environments for others, you will also take part in giving back to your community as a Girl Scout volunteer.
You help create an environment where girls are encouraged to try new things they might not have had the opportunity to experience outside of Girl Scouts.
Girl Scouts isn’t just selling cookies – it’s learning new things, adventuring to new places, and experiencing fun in new ways! For many girls, Girl Scouts is where they get to have new experiences and try new things they might not have had the opportunity to otherwise. Planning trips out of state, organizing unique activities like ballet or yoga, or introducing new culinary dishes are just a few of the ways you can expand girls’ horizons as a Girl Scout volunteer.
You strengthen a unique volunteer support network.
As a GSHPA volunteer, you are one of almost 3,000 other volunteers working to build girls of courage, confidence, and character. This network is comprised of women and men who come from all different backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge. When faced with a challenge, you will always have a fellow Girl Scout volunteer to reach out to for advice and help.
You have the opportunity to share your expertise and experiences to help others.
Everyone has their own strengths and talents – including you! As a Girl Scout volunteer, you will have the opportunity to impart your expertise and knowledge onto girls to help them learn and gain new skills. Whether you have hands-on strengths like building and assembling, technology skills like coding, or creative talents like painting or drawing, any skillset can come in handy in Girl Scouts.
There are so many different ways to volunteer with Girl Scouts – and even the smallest amount of time you can give counts toward creating an impact on girls and our collective community. Interested in becoming a Girl Scout volunteer or know someone who is looking to make an impact in their community? Visit GSHPA’s volunteer webpage!
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