Girl Scout Troop 33530 Brings Art to Underserved Families Through Community Service Project

Lithia, FL — Girl Scout Troop 33530, part of the Fossil Valley Service Unit of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, has completed a meaningful community service project focused on increasing access to arts and crafts for children in underserved communities across Hillsborough County.

Led by troop leaders Jennifer C. Loader-Wohl and Melody Gershkoff, the Girl Scouts identified a need among families living below the poverty level, including those experiencing housing instability, who often lack access to basic art supplies at home. In response, the troop designed and assembled 180 Children’s Art Bags to encourage creativity, family bonding, and confidence through hands-on art activities.

The bags are being distributed through the Hillsborough County Children’s Board Family Resource Centers at six locations throughout the county. Each bag includes an age-appropriate craft kit: younger children receive a paper windmill craft with colored pencils, while older children receive a wooden boat kit with paint supplies. Every project allows children to create, keep, and take pride in their own artwork.

The project was intentionally designed to support child development by promoting creativity, fine motor skills, focus, language development, and confidence. It also provides families an opportunity to spend quality time together creating art with materials they may not otherwise have access to.

Girl Scouts Share Their Inspiration

The girls say the heart of the project was simple: making other children feel seen and valued.

“We chose this project because some less fortunate kids don't even have colored pencils or crafts, so making these kits for them might mean a lot. I love making people happy and this was really fun for me. I imagine the faces on those kids when they see the little bags with the toys and crafts inside. We want to bring attention to the fact that some children live in poverty and they're not as fortunate as us, but they still deserve to enjoy a little craft or toy.” — Isla Gershkoff

Through the process, the girls gained a deeper understanding of the challenges some families face.

“We learned about how some kids are dealing with poverty. They're dealing with things we know nothing about. But it's not their fault they're struggling, so it's nice to give them fun games so they can enjoy themselves and spend time with their family.” — Isla Gershkoff

“We learned that not everyone has arts and crafts in their homes and we wanted them to have fun making and painting projects that they can keep.” — Stella Wohl

Teamwork was another highlight of the project.

“I liked designing the logo for the box and working together like an assembly line to finish it. I like working with the other Girl Scouts because it shows how teamwork improves results.” — Isla Gershkoff

“My favorite part of this project was working with my friends to help other kids.” — Stella Wohl

A Leadership Milestone

The service initiative was completed as part of the troop’s leadership journey and is being submitted for consideration as the Girl Scout Bronze Award — the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can earn. Regardless of award status, the project reflects the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

Learn more about the GS Bronze Award
https://www.gswcf.org/en/for-g...