For Service Unit 3605 out of Erie County, sisterhood goes beyond just girls—volunteers lean on each other so that everyone gets what they need, and, as a result, experiences are easy to come by and rewarding.
For service unit manager Kayla Gabbard, it’s important to view the service unit as a collaborative effort. She says that the way the volunteers interact with each other encourages a similar sisterhood in the girls. To her, these volunteers keep the service unit strong and able to do so much.
“By tunneling into some of the Girl Scout promise with concepts such as using resources wisely, treating others with respect, being a sister to every Girl Scout, and others, [we can] all come together to enhance experiences, and make opportunities easier to provide for the girls.”
Girls in this Erie County service unit have accomplished a great deal, from serving their community to taking fun trips and learning lifesaving skills. They have learned about animals and animal care through the Erie Humane Society, explored the planetarium, and gone camping.
The girls in the area also have had the outstanding opportunity to learn lifesaving skills through the local fire department. They learned basic first aid and CPR, even practicing on a mannequin, and toured the inside of an ambulance to see how it provides lifesaving patient care.
Last year, their local Brownie and Junior troop was working on their Animals badges and learning to care for pets, so they hosted a teddy bear clinic for the younger troops. Some of the younger girls loved it so much that they are now planning one of their own!
In the upcoming year, the girls and volunteers in Service Unit 3605 have big plans to grow in sisterhood and experiences, and they are excited to do it together.
GSWPA 