They say the best way to teach children good habits is to start when they are young. If that’s true, then the Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 2670, along with scouts from Plano and Allen, are well on their way to making the world a better place. The troop members are working toward their Bronze Award, the highest honor a Junior can earn, by volunteering at Mustang Creek Estates of Allen. Since January, the troop has been visiting the senior living community to spend time doing activities with the residents.
The Bronze Award is given to scouts who create a plan for a project by identifying a need in the community and working to fulfill it. In this case, they are focusing on brightening the lives of seniors who live in the Mustang Creek Estates of Allen community. They have been visiting the community regularly to develop relationships with the seniors. The girls held a craft supply drive for the residents, and next week, on Saturday, April 23 at 2:00 p.m., they will gather at Mustang Creek Estates of Allen (720 Creek Valley Court outside House 1) to celebrate Earth Day together. The girls and residents will plant flowers and plants in specially-crafted, pyramid-style raised planter boxes designed to allow easy access for those in wheelchairs or who would prefer to garden while seated. As the Girl Scouts work toward their Bronze Award, their bonds with the seniors will blossom more and more, just the like gardens they will plant together in honor of the national holiday.
“The girls are learning at a young age that mobility challenges, hearing loss or even memory loss doesn’t take away or devalue who a person is, and as a result, they have a higher respect for seniors in our community,” said Troop Leader Rachel Kirbie. “We chose to work with Mustang Creek Estates of Allen for our Bronze Award because we wanted to enrich the residents’ lives through making crafts and participating in other meaningful activities they enjoy. We know that intergenerational activities are as beneficial for the seniors as they are for our girls, so we were thrilled to start this partnership and continue to spend time together.”
Junior Girl Scouts are in fourth and fifth grade, and this is the first major award a Girl Scout can earn. At a young age, the scouts must exhibit forthrightness and maturity well beyond their years in order to successfully earn the award. The troop decided to create a craft supply drive as part of their project to support the residents and give them additional supplies for their craft activities. The girls made announcements at their schools and churches about their list of supplies, and they collected items to donate to Mustang Creek Estates of Allen. In addition to doing crafts with the seniors, they also play Bingo and participate in other intergenerational activities alongside the residents.
“I enjoy it when the Girl Scouts visit, and I am looking forward to planting flowers with them and seeing them outside of my window,” said Mustang Creek Estates of Allen resident Cecil Murray. “I grew up on a farm in San Augustine, Texas, and we raised cotton, peanuts and corn. I think it’s important to give back to the Earth because it has done so much for us, and we need to keep it in good shape for future generations.”
Mustang Creek Estates of Allen values the community partnerships it has established over its 10 years of serving seniors in Allen, and recognizes the true impact volunteers have on the residents.
“We love having the Girl Scout troop visit, and are so thankful they thought to choose our community as the site to earn the Bronze Award,” said Mustang Creek Estates of Allen interim executive director Angella Horton. “Many of our residents don’t have grandchildren in the area, so when kids from the community come to visit, it really makes their day. They look forward to their visits and are excited to work in the garden with the Girl Scouts.”