Dulcey Gariepy
The Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council recently presented the Girl Scout Gold Award to 33 recipients this year—three of which are young women from North Central Phoenix.
In order to earn the coveted Gold Award, a Girl Scout must create a project that continues to give back to the community long after she moves on, and often take as long as 18 to 24 months to complete.
After volunteering at a care center for Alzheimer patients, Dulce Gariepy, a junior at Bioscience High School, wanted to focus on the lack of awareness of this disease among her peers. She created a “Yarn for Comfort” presentation she shared with 500 Phoenix-area teenagers to show students what aging feels like with the intent of inspiring more compassion. Gariepy and others also crocheted 50 lap blankets that she donated to hospice patients.
Kate Howard
When Kate Howard, a senior at Xavier College Preparatory, learned that the Burrowing Owl population has been declining due to habitat destruction, she jumped in to help. In a nearby area where some Burrowing Owls had been relocated, she built a split-rail fence to keep passersby away and installed signs to help them learn more about this endangered species.
Sabrina Dickinson
After learning girls in Africa often stop going to school during their menstrual cycle due to a lack of access to hygiene products, Sabrina Dickinson, a senior at Shadow Mountain High School, enlisted friends’ help to create 100 hygiene kits. She solicited donations from the community and organized a 70-person team to assemble the kits. She was even able to deliver the kits to Kenya in person and provide instructions on using the kits.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive. For more information about the Girls Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, visit http://www.girlscoutsaz.org.
