“I love Girl Scouts! It is a place where girls from every walk of life can come together and be themselves. It was my passion growing up and continues to grow stronger.”

As a Girl Scout from grades K-12 in Portage through the former Talus Rock Council, Sandra Coffee has earned both her Girl Scout Silver and Gold Awards, is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, and has been a volunteer for a combined total of seven years—this year being her eighth. She started as a camp counselor and first aider at Camp Conshatawba, helped a Cadette troop in college, and then took a break while relocating and growing her family. In addition to being a troop leader, she is also a service unit manager and cookie chair for her service unit in Westmoreland County.

When asked what her favorite Girl Scout memory is, she replied, “I have so many! My newest and probably my favorite for life is from our camping trip in February. It was late at night and the fire was starting to die down. The girls were laying on their mats giggling for what seemed like hours. Nobody said anything, it was just a group of girls enjoying their weekend together.”

Her favorite thing about volunteering with Girl Scouts is watching girls grow and find themselves. If girls have learned anything from her, she hopes it’s to be kind and give with your heart. “There is always somebody out there who needs you,” she said. “Find them and help them in whatever way they need.”

Her advice for new volunteers is to take it slow. “Everyone wants to start doing the big fun things that they see the older girls doing right away or have big, elaborate meetings,” she said. “Ease into it and get to know your girls and what they like to do.”

Something she wishes everyone knew about being a volunteer is that it isn’t always easy.

“You sometimes pour your heart and soul into something that just flops. There will be times where you need to sit down and think about why you are here and what keeps you going and that’s ok.”

Even through the challenges, Sandra says Girl Scouting was her passion growing up and continues to grow stronger through her experience as a volunteer.

Name: Janet Kovacs

Service Unit: SU3622-Fairview

County: Erie

Total Girl Scout Years: 11

Volunteer Years: 51

Janet Kovacs has had a Girl Scout membership for 62 years now—first as a Girl Scout for 11 years, and then immediately becoming a Girl Scout volunteer after graduating high school.

“I love to brag about how long I’ve been a Girl Scout,” she said. “I’ve made it well known that I’m a Girl Scout volunteer who wears many hats.”

When asked what her favorite thing about Girl Scouts is, she laughs and says she likes too much of it. She loves teaching girls, planning events, and meeting other Girl Scouts. She and her co-leader, Amy Miehl, have been planning events at least twice a year since the year 2000, including Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania’s Great Getaway Weekend events that began in 2022.

“I feel fortunate to have Girl Scout friends from Pittsburgh up to Buffalo. Most people would think it’s only little old Erie where I’m from, but Girl Scouts is so much bigger than that. You could go anywhere and talk Girl Scouts.”

While Janet recognizes that there are plenty of organizations that need volunteers, she’s proud to say that Girl Scouts is the organization she dedicates her time to.

“I believe in the Girl Scout mission. There are many times in my life where I’m like, ‘yep—that’s the Girl Scout in me!’ Through Girl Scouts, girls learn skills for life and they may not even realize it until they get into their adult years.”

Her advice to other volunteers, especially newer ones, is to use their resources wisely. She encourages volunteers to attend service unit meetings and get acquainted with the other leaders to make connections and ask questions.

Janet not only has 62 incredible years of Girl Scout stories, but she’s got the patches to go with them. She sports her 544 Girl Scout patches on a poncho she made, each section having a special meaning.

“The outside tells a story of my life,” she said. “On the inside, those are the ones that have been given to me. Girls have brought patches back, saying ‘I want you to have this.’” The patches on the hood of the poncho represent things she’s done with her granddaughter.

Janet’s grandson even helped her create a catalog where she can keep track of her patches. They gave each patch a number with a detailed description of what each one represents. The oldest patch Janet has is a Presque Isle beach clean-up patch from 1967, which she received in seventh grade.

Janet doesn’t plan to stop adding Girl Scout patches to her collection anytime soon. In fact, she’s already working on a cape that will go over her poncho. She has one patch sewn on so far.

“I want to be packing my sleeping bag until I’m in my mid-80s, trekking to the tent. I want to be that really old lady packing and going to camp,” she said.

Jim Blanarik has been involved with Girl Scouts for 38 years as a troop leader alongside his wife, Kathleen, for Freedom Service Unit 1640-989 in Beaver County.

“When your wife is a leader and needs help, and your daughter and her friends are in the troop, you tend to lend a hand where needed,” he said. “Once the bug hits you, you’re hooked and it’s hard to say no. The values kids learn from [Girl] Scouting and the skills they learn are for life! They are useful skills to help you through life.”

A retired teacher after 39 years in the field, Jim has taught subjects such as woodworking, metalworking, welding, machine work, drafting, and home improvement. “I guess you could say working with kids is my passion,” he said.

Without a doubt, Jim says working with Girl Scouts and knowing he is shaping them to be their best is his favorite thing about being a Girl Scout volunteer.

“You have to put your heart and soul into it. Every girl deserves a leader who is a mother figure (or a father figure). You have to be that safe person they can trust. Every girl should be your daughter!”

Jim’s advice to new volunteers is to jump in with both feet.

“Don’t be afraid if you don’t know everything. Most of the time the girls won’t know you don’t as long as they are having fun,” he said. “Ask the older leaders—they are the best resource out there. Stick with the program. Follow your girl from Daisies through Ambassadors and go for the Gold!”

Jim also runs the archery ranges for day camps. Among his favorite Girl Scout memories are girls hugging him after getting a bullseye on the archery range, creek stomping at Camp Elliot, and taking his troop to Kennywood.

“My favorite was camping at [Camp] Elliot and this particular group loved hiking and ghost stories. So we took a night hike to the chimney down near the creek. I had placed an old whisker backpack against the fireplace and had a small fire going. On the way down I told them about Joni Elliot who used to live in the house that burnt down leaving the chimney. She came home from school one day and no one was home, so she left her backpack in the house next to the chimney and went looking for her parents. She never returned, and when her parents came home, the house had burned down. They couldn’t find Joni anywhere and legend had it that they moved and now on days when there are campouts, you can hear Joni singing Girl Scout songs at the chimney. Needless to say, when they saw the fire and backpack they screamed but we made new friends and laughed all the way back to the lodge.”

If there’s one thing Jim hopes Girl Scouts have learned from him, it’s respect—treat your friends with respect, respect nature, respect our natural resources, and respect yourself.

Name: Linda Smith

Service Unit: SU5902-Deer Lakes Allegheny Valley

County: Allegheny

Total Girl Scout Years: 42

Volunteer Years: 36

Current and Former Volunteer Positions: service unit manager, troop leader, service unit coach, service unit recruiter, service unit cookie volunteer (helps with booth sales)

Age-Level Experience: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Indie Girl Scouting

Specialties: cookie program, flag ceremonies, day camp

Certifications: First Aid/CPR/AED, Mental Health First Aid

What do you want volunteers to know about you?
I enjoy working with new leaders. I love flowers and arranging them as well as plants. I love to coordinate events within Girl Scouting. I am dependable and always willing to lend a hand. I love dogs and my favorite seasons are spring and fall.

What does Girl Scouting mean to you?
I believe that helping the leaders and training them is important; it keeps me in with the community of Deer Lakes. I don’t have a troop per se—I am known in my community by the girls and the general public. Helping the leaders means a lot to me—I try to help them relieve the burden, being there for the leader and the girls as well as the parents.

What is your Girl Scout leadership philosophy?
I try to lead with honesty and openness and if there’s a way to make things easier for the leaders and the girls in the troop, I’m all for it!

What advice do you have for new troop leaders?
Find a mentor and work with them—they will guide you along the way. Even if you have been involved in the past, team up with a buddy and have them attend your meetings, show you the way around, and teach you those Girl Scout traditions—it’s important to keep those traditions alive.

Other Organizations: Church member

Anything else?
In the summer months, I enjoy camping. My husband and I have a camp. I am very family-oriented and love spending time with my family. I have a coonhound, Hannah. I have two daughters who are married and two grandsons that keep me busy!

Name: Jennifer Ridilla

Service Unit: SU3601-H.I.S

County: Erie

Total Girl Scout Years: 8

Volunteer Years: 5

Current and Former Volunteer Positions: troop leader, troop co-leader, service unit treasurer, service unit cookie manager

Age-Level Experience: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Younger Multi-Level

Girl Scout Pillars: Life Skills, Outdoors, Entrepreneurship

Specialties: camping, MagNut program, cookie program, Girl Scout finances, badges, event planning, First Aid/CPR/AED

Adult Awards: Volunteer of Excellence

Certifications: I have taken training as a leader and mentor through work. Currently, I am a mentor where I work and assist in trainings.

What do you want volunteers to know about you?
I have many experiences both within Girl Scouts and out that I can use to assist you with your activities and questions. I have camping training, first aid training, experience with Magnut and cookie sales, and have put together events with other non-profit groups. I look forward to helping new leaders find their own leadership styles and be successful in getting their troops going and motivated.

What does Girl Scouting mean to you?
Girl Scouting is a great way to see the girls grow as they learn not only about skills and activities they like but also how to grow as young women and become leaders.

What is your Girl Scout leadership philosophy?
You need to be flexible. Each troop is different in the girls’ needs, wants, and desires. You also need to be ready to change each year as the dynamics of your troop may change.

What advice do you have for new troop leaders?
Ask a lot of questions. If the person you ask doesn’t know the answer, we can get it or help you find it.

Other Organizations: I am on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of Grahamville Cemetery and volunteer for my daughter’s PTA.

Name: Michelle Kramer

Service Unit: SU5107-Bethel South

County: Allegheny

Total Girl Scout Years: 14

Volunteer Years: 13

Current and Former Volunteer Positions: troop leader, service unit manager, camp coordinator, and troop coach

Age-Level Experience: Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

Girl Scout Pillar Experience: STEM, Life Skills, Outdoors, Entrepreneurship

Specialties: event planning, GSUSA Destinations

Certifications: archery, First Aid/CPR/AED, PA Certified Teacher (7-12 English, Communications, Business/Information/Technology, and K-12 Library)

What do you want volunteers to know about you?
When my daughter’s Daisy troop grew into needing a third approved adult, I volunteered. From there, I took on some roles within our service unit and have been inspired and moved by the impact that Girl Scouting has in creating [Girl] Scouts of character, confidence, and courage.   

What does Girl Scouting mean to you?
When my older daughter expressed an interest in Girl Scouting as a kindergartener, I took her to the recruitment meeting. Seeing the older girls representing the Girl Scout movement with such grace and poise, I hoped that my daughter would develop some of that composure and maturity. Now, twelve years later, I lead two troops in which my two daughters have developed skills and areas of interest, experienced adventure, and built meaningful friendships. And, each fall at the recruitment meeting, at our service unit’s day camp, and at our Camporee events, it’s now my daughters who are leading and guiding the little [Girl] Scouts on the same path. 

What is your Girl Scout leadership philosophy?
Everybody is welcome. Bring what you can. Take what you need.

I frequently say “Girl Scouting runs on volunteers.” So, finding and protecting those volunteers who are willing to offer their skills to forward the Girl Scout movement is my primary philosophy.

What advice do you have for new troop leaders?
Get a team. The whole idea of “many hands making light work” is true in two ways. With more people to pitch in, there is less for each person to do. But also, for me, the work is more joyful and fun when you’re in it with others. 

So, get a team. As you’re building your troop, encourage parents to register and submit their clearances so that they can run a meeting, drive to events, come camping (remember men can be Girl Scouts, too!), offer a fun patch activity during a regular meeting, or present a step in a badge or maybe a whole badge in a Journey.

If you see yourself as the supporter of the adults of the team and focus on communicating clearly the goals and schedule, you’ll win friends for life.

Name: Darlene Brown

Service Unit: SU4641-Indiana

County: Indiana

Total Girl Scout Years: 27

Volunteer Years: 20

Current and Former Volunteer Positions: troop leader, service unit team, program team, co-service unit manager, co-day camp director, outdoor training facilitator, Program Aide training facilitator, archery instructor, troop cookie manager, assist with service unit cookie manager, recruitment, camp activities team member, day camp volunteer

Age-Level Experience: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador, Younger Multi-Level, Older Multi-Level, All-Ages Multi-Level, Indie Girl Scouting

Girl Scout Pillar Experience: Life Skills, Outdoors

Specialties: camping, cookie program, additional money earning/fundraising, outdoor skills, flag ceremonies, community service/Take Action projects, badges, event planning, ceremonies/traditions, archery, First Aid/CPR/AED, hiking, knife skills, knot tying, Leave No Trace, crafts

Awards: Volunteer of Excellence, Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin

Certifications: Outdoor Training Facilitator, Program Aide Training Facilitator, Archery Facilitator, First Aid/CPR/AED, Mental Health First Aid, Cooking for Crowds

What do you want volunteers to know about you?
I started in Girl Scouts when I was in the second grade and went on until I was in the eighth grade. As a girl, I attended day camp one year at Camp Cherry Hill in Indiana County. I went camping with my troop at different times over those years, attended various events, sold MagNut and cookies, and enjoyed it. As an adult, when my daughter went to kindergarten in September 2005, we talked about joining Girl Scouts. I told her I would help out the leader. Well, little did I know, I ended up being the leader. I have continued on with my daughter over the years until she graduated high school in 2018. She has earned her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards as well. We have gone on many camping trips and attended lots of events. I took all the training I could possibly take over the years. We started attending the Blue Spruce Day Camp here in Indiana County in 2006. I have volunteered every year since and now I’m a co-director for our day camp. We have many memories of things that have happened over the years. We have done a little traveling over the years. We did go on the 100th-anniversary bus trip to Washington D.C. when they had them sing. As a leader, I offered opportunities to my girls for events we had locally whether they all could attend or not. We worked on so many patches and badges over the years. If we went somewhere, if I could find a patch for that activity, I got the patches for the girls. As the girls grew, I grew too. There have been many times they kept me on my toes and there were times I had to try to be a step ahead of them.

What does Girl Scouting mean to you?
Girl Scouting means a lot to me. As a girl, I have learned different things and have gone to different places with my troop and friends. The memories of the camping trips, the one year I went to Camp Cherry Hill for a week of day camp, and I got to attend the Indiana Mall show for the 75th anniversary of Girl Scouting. As an adult, I got to celebrate the 100th and the 110th anniversaries of Girl Scouting. There are lots of values within Girl Scouting and the different skills the girls can learn. The friendships I have made over the years, and the experiences, are things I will carry with me for years to come. Learning some of this as a girl and into an adult volunteer, I can now share it with my daughter, her friends, and other girls who join.

What is your Girl Scout leadership philosophy?
Make it fun. The more fun the girls have at troop meetings, trips, and events, the more they want to come back. Sometimes you may have everything planned out for the whole event or meeting—be ready to make changes or go with the flow. The girls are all different. As a leader, be ready to step outside of the box and learn some new skills to help keep all the girls interested in Girl Scouts. Sometimes, as a leader, you do have to get a little crazy. Wear a crazy outfit and bring a stuffed animal to camp to sleep with and things like that—if it helps a girl break out of her shell, so be it. Don’t be upset if things don’t go as planned. I have had many times when I had to adjust and roll with the punches.

What advice do you have for new troop leaders?
Relax, have fun, and learn with the girls. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. No leader is perfect—we all have made mistakes over the years. The important thing is to be there for the girls at the meetings, trips, and events. If the girls are interested in something you are not comfortable with, like if you are not an outdoors type of person and they want to go camping, it is ok to ask for help from other leaders and troops. You can always work with another troop either in your service unit or outside of your service unit to go on that camping trip or field trip. I have been asked over the years with my different pieces of training if I could help chaperone different trips if someone was not trained for overnight trips, camping trips, and things like that. Now, since my daughter is in graduate school, I no longer have a girl in Girl Scouting. I have stayed on because I have made so many friends over the years. I enjoy helping out.

Other Organizations: I am a member of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. I also plan youth group activities and Sunday School activities for my church (it’s a small church). I have been on the church council for the past five years. I have been involved in PTA as my three kids went through elementary school.

Anything else?
My daughter earned her Gold Award in 2018. She has earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with special ed from IUP, started working as a substitute, and now started graduate school to get her master’s degree. My oldest son (middle child) earned his Eagle Award in 2020 (during COVID-19). He is currently attending Penn State Altoona for an engineering degree. He has a year or year and a half to finish his bachelor’s degree. My youngest son will be ready to start the process for his Eagle Award soon. He is 16 and working on finishing the last couple of merit badges he needs to take the next step. He has three more years left in high school. I am currently working full-time and taking college classes part-time.