Special to the Santa Paula Times
Members of the Oxnard Girl Scout Troop 62015 volunteered their time and energy to the Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) west of Santa Paula, on Saturday, March 7. Their goal was to complete their service project for the final badge of their Brownie Quest journey, a badge program for girls in 2nd and 3rd grade as an introduction to the values of Girl Scouts. What they brought was so much more. Armed with a 5-gallon bucket of paint and nearly 100 cans of dog food, purchased with the proceeds of a homemade cupcake fundraiser earlier this year, their good spirit reflected one of the core values of Girls Scouts — community service. They painted a dozen doghouses, assembled — with the assistance of their parents — 10 dog beds and stuffed dog toys with peanut butter graciously donated by another C.A.R.L. supporter.
How the girls came to volunteer with C.A.R.L. began in November during a troop meeting. As the oldest girl-led non-profit organization in the United States, Girl Scouts from kindergarten to adulthood meet regularly to foster the skills of leadership and community service.
While earning badges in various skills — including STEM subjects, business management and customer service skills garnered through the national cookie sale, which provides local troops funding for local programming and activities — the self-esteem they gain provides the foundation for a “can-do” attitude that reverberates throughout their adult life. Throughout the process girls decide what badges they wish to earn and what community service project they will undertake. Numerous volunteer leaders and parents’ guide and cheer them on in their endeavors with the ultimate goal to encourage the next generations of women leaders.
The girls of Troop 62015, led by Maria Ojeda and Trish Guevara of Oxnard, quickly decided on a project benefiting animals and troop parent Amy Mateo passed their decision on to a neighbor, C.A.R.L. shelter volunteer Tara Smith Eisenhauer.
Kennel Supervisor Laura Abbot provided a wish list of items the non-profit was in need of including paint, dog food, blankets, dog leashes, and of course, volunteer time. The girls outlined a budget — culled from their cupcake sale funds — crafted to make the greatest impact, splitting their donation between paint and enough canned dog food to feed fostered and sheltered C.A.R.L. animals for a month!
On volunteer day the only difficulty the girls had was abiding by the rule to refrain from touching the dogs. Anyone who works which a bunch of rambunctious and caring children knows how difficult the temptation of a cuddly face can be for elementary school children!
In spite of calls of “They’re just so cute!” the girls stuck to their task and after two hours of volunteering Laura Abbot rewarded the Brownies with a cuddle session with a recent addition to the shelter, a 5-month-old puppy already pending adoption.
The girls took photos, received happy dog kisses, and left the shelter with two new badges to proudly display on their uniforms, the final badge for their Brownie Quest journey, and a heart inspired paw print stating “Shelter Helper”.
In true Girl Scout style, the girls are already looking forward to their next adventure, planting vegetables to benefit Food Share.
If you are interested in helping the nonprofit, no-kill C.A.R.L. with their shelter needs or would like more information visit www.carldogs.org
For more information on the Girl Scout and Brownie programs or on becoming a volunteer, visit the website www.girlscoutsccc.org or contact Girl Scouts California Central Coast Membership Manager Sylvia Kuaea at info@girlscoutsccc.org
