Merrimack Girl Scouts Earn Silver Award

Two Girl Scouts of Troop 10564 of Merrimack, both former students of Reeds Ferry School, decided to dedicate their Silver Award Project to the students at the school during the winter months.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is a community service project. Girl Scouts have to create something for the community that is new, needed, and sustainable.

Erin Finken and Hope Daley chose to create mitten boxes for students who come to school unprepared for recess in New England’s winter season. This project was named: “Operation Mittens.”

Students go out to recess when it is down to 20 degrees outside, and there are a few students in each class that will come to school unprepared. They would have to waste time searching for mittens in the guidance office or lost and found. This results in lost time to go outside and release energy. This will allow them to go back inside and learn better in the afternoon. There are mitten borrowing boxes in 27 classrooms of Reeds Ferry and one adult borrow box for staff on recess duty. Students and staff may return them after recess.

“Thank you!” to the knitters and crocheters who graciously donated 156 pairs of homemade mittens and 21 hats to the project. This far exceeded the goal of the request of 60-70 pairs.

There were over 20 individuals, and some groups that participated: the Merrimack Crochet Group, the Knitting Group at the Merrimack Public Library, St. John Neumann Knitting Group, and volunteers from St. James U.M. Church.

This project would not have been a success without all of this help. Some of the volunteers have agreed to keep the sustainability portion going by donating mittens every year.

Submitted text. Courtesy photo.