Over the course of more than three months, the Cadette Girl Scouts of Troop 51145 from the Wetherbee School in Lawrence worked with the Highland Street Youth Philanthropy Initiative (HSYPI) to give a local non-profit a grant to help fund programs addressing their community’s most pressing needs.
HSYPI trains youth in philanthropy, teaching them about community needs and effective non-profit management. Once the trainings, research, meetings and deliberations are complete, the HSYPI empowers the youth to decide which organization is awarded the HSYPI-funded grant.
The girls spent time understanding the needs of Lawrence residents and evaluating different non-profit organizations in the area. After finishing the program, they made their decision, awarding the HSYPI grant to Family Services.
The Cadettes said they determined which programs would be most beneficial to their hometown, and then took action.
“We identified community needs such as teen pregnancy and child abuse,” one troop member said. “Family Services helps find solutions to these problems and other issues in our city.”
“We identified community needs such as teen pregnancy and child abuse,” one troop member said. “Family Services helps find solutions to these problems and other issues in our city.”
The 13-week program culminated on May 30 with a check ceremony at the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club. Troop 51145 described the grant awarding process, which included meeting with four non-profit organizations, and how they came to their ultimate decision. Afterwards, they presented a check for $5,000 to Family Services Executive Director Elizabeth Sweeney and board member Judith Holt.
The girls of Troop 51145 truly embody the Girl Scout mission to make the world a better place.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts | Blog 