Your Monthly Donor Impact Report |
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It's almost summer and that means one thing: Girl Scouts are eagerly making plans for Girl Scout camp. After a year of virtual school and virtual friendships, it is time to connect again. When I think about summer, it always brings back memories of my time in Girl Scouts. Growing up in Iowa, I loved to go hiking in the woods with my troop. We liked nothing better than finding a trail - or even better, making our own trail where there was none.
Today's Girl Scouts are blazing their own trails as well - in business, science and community service. This all begins with the leadership skills they learn at Girl Scout camp.
When girls attend camp, they do more than cook s'mores around the campfire. They explore the outdoors and gain an appreciation for nature. They challenge themselves with archery and rock climbing. They learn to persevere and overcome challenges high atop the climbing wall. They meet friends and camp counselors from diverse backgrounds and make friendships that last a lifetime.
In this month's newsletter, you'll learn more about how you are powering girls' outdoor adventures and how these experiences are transforming today's girls into tomorrow's leaders. From the shy girls who come out of their shell at camp to the Girl Scout alums whose outdoor experiences help them speak up in the board room, every Girl Scout and alum has a little bit of camp inside of her. Thank you for giving Girl Scouts the gift of camp!
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Roni Luckenbill
Chief Executive Officer
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
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How You Helped Transform “Shy Shay” Into a Confident Future Camp Counselor, Judge, and Surgeon!
Ty'Kela will never forget the first time her daughter, Zynaijah, who goes by "Shay," left for Girl Scout camp. Shay had never spent more than a night away from her family, so she was terrified to leave home.
“She was crying, hugging me, and telling me she wasn’t ready to leave,” Ty’Kela says. “I hugged her back and encouraged her to get on that bus. I told her she’d have the time of her life. Luckily, I was right!”
When Shay returned from Camp Libbey a week later, she was happy, smiling, and couldn’t stop talking about her new friends and the things she tried at camp. Through Girl Scouts, Shay has blossomed into a confident young leader with a passion for helping others. Shay’s favorite Girl Scout projects involve community service. For her birthday, she chose to prepare and hand out bagged lunches to people experiencing homelessness. This summer, Shay is returning to camp and she cannot wait!
“I was sad when camp was canceled last year,” Shay says. “I’m glad it’s back this year. I can’t wait to swim in the pool and try the big climbing wall. When I’m a little older, I want to do counselor in training camp so I can help younger girls."
Ty’Kela is amazed at how far her daughter has come since the day she first left for Girl Scout camp. "Shay's a different girl now. She speaks up. She leads. She knows what she wants for her future. She wants to be a camp counselor, a surgeon, and maybe even a judge. Thank you, Girl Scouts, for paving the way!" Ty'Kela says.
Above: Shay is on the left, and Ty'Kela is on the right.
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It's almost time for Girl Scout camp which means Camp in a Box is back! This summer's eight-box subscription series will begin arriving on girls' doorsteps in June and teach them about outdoor skills, STEM, and camp traditions. Thank you for keeping girls connected to the outdoors - no matter where they are! |
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You Make Camp a Reality For Every Girl
In a few short weeks, girls will leave their screens behind and reconnect with nature, their peers, and trusted adults, all thanks to Camp for Every Girl Initiative, the donor-supported program that sends more than 500 girls to camp each summer.
Cheryl Shrider is a community development manager in Cincinnati who works with troops in Price Hill. "Many of these girls come from neighborhoods with no yards, and where it’s not safe to spend time outside," she says. "A week at camp is an experience is something they only dreamed about until Camp for Every Girl was introduced."
More than half of Girl Scouts who attend camp say they wouldn't have engaged in outdoor activities if not for Girl Scouts. Thanks to you, these girls will come home with new skills like archery, wayfinding, and outdoor cooking. They will overcome their own fears and help another girl overcome hers. Parents tell us they see a difference in their girl when she returns from camp. She is more confident, more grown up.
Your investment in girls helps remove financial barriers to camp and makes camp a possibility for ALL girls. One troop that's going to camp this summer thanks to you? Cheryl's Price Hill troop!
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Donor Spotlight: The Charles H. Dater Foundation
Since 1993, the Charles H. Dater Foundation has been transforming the lives of Girl Scouts in the Greater Cincinnati region by making annual grants to Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. Currently, their funding supports the Camp for Every Girl Initiative and the community outreach program.
"The Dater Foundation is pleased to have been a supporter of Girl Scouts since 1993," Roger Ruhl, officer and board member of the Charles Dater Foundation, says. "The Community Outreach Program and Camp for Every Girl Initiative are an excellent fit with our focus of helping a broad range of young people with special emphasis on the underserved. The values and lessons that a Girl Scout learns most certainly serve her well throughout her life."
Amanda Lenhart, another officer and board member at the foundation, is a Girl Scout alum and her fond memories of Girl Scout camp are one of the main reasons she loves to pay it forward.
"My fondest memory of Girl Scouts was camping away from home with my friends. In the mornings, we each had to make our own eggs and bacon over a campfire — something I had never done before," Amanda says. "I felt independent, resourceful and accomplished. This is what Girl Scouts does; it provides girls with opportunities to learn by doing and grow in the confidence that they can do new things."
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These trails transform... what camp means to girls in their own words |
"At Girl Scout camp, I learned how to think on my feet. I can make a Plan B on the fly and pretend like it was plan A."
- Maria, 18-years-old, Cincinnati, Ohio
"Camp is the best thing I have ever done! I loved playing in the creek and being in the woods. I don't get to do that at home."
- Katrina, 7-years-old, Beavercreek, Ohio
"Girl Scout camp made me step out of my comfort zone. I never thought I'd try rock climbing or sleeping in a tent, but I did both in one week at camp!
- Sarah, 13-years-old, Celina, Ohio
“This summer, I'll be attending Counselor-In-Training camp so I can work at camp. My camp counselors impacted my life and I want to do the same for other girls.”
- Katie, 16-years-old, Fostoria, Ohio
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Thank you for investing in girls, and supporting the visionary doers, innovators, creators and thinkers of tomorrow. Together, we can help girls discover their untapped potential and build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Make a gift today!
In Honor of Girl Scouts Founder Juliette Gordon Low, you can leave a gift that will impact girls for generations. Learn more about planned giving through the Juliette Gordon Low Society.
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