In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania is honoring the people who keep our community thriving, this month and every month.
Charlene Filsaime has been a Girl Scout volunteer for over a decade. Currently, she is a volunteer in the Penn Wood Hills service unit. She has served as a service unit cookie manager, fall product manager, awards coordinator, delegate, troop leader, and member of the Troop Mentor Network.
A Girl Scout herself in her youth in McKeesport, Charlene began volunteering when the after-school program troop her daughter was a part of could no longer be continued—the parents wanted to keep it going, so it transitioned into a community troop.
“Don’t be afraid to say you can’t do it all! Ask for help. Publicly thank parents or anybody who does anything to help. Saying thank you and acknowledging encourages volunteers. Always take a step back to look at what you are doing!”
For Charlene, a huge part of being a volunteer is uplifting girls to be confident in their own abilities and skills. She believes that good leadership lies in making sure every girl’s voice is heard. In her troop, she makes sure to rotate assignments so every girl gets their turn to lead and try out new skills. From her perspective, a good troop leader should offer guidance and a foundation while letting them make their own choices.
A turning point experience in her volunteer journey was going to the national convention and getting to see how important Girl Scouts is across the country. She says that getting to see the excitement on the national level was something that really inspired her in her own leadership.
As for advice for new leaders, Charlene thinks it’s all about community and asking for help when you need it. “Don’t be afraid to say you can’t do it all! Ask for help. Publicly thank parents or anybody who does anything to help. Saying thank you and acknowledging encourages volunteers. Always take a step back to look at what you are doing!”
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