Over 1000 Made Last Year – Who knows what they’ll do this year!
Every Girl Scout makes a commitment, through the Girl Scout Law, to do her best to make the world a better place. The second annual “Caring Hearts, Helping Hands” project, launched this month by the Girl Scout Council of Orange County, will unite the community service efforts of thousands of Girl Scouts who want to make Orange County a better place to live by teaming up with Binky Patrol.
Contact: Gail Ellis-Olds (Girl Scouts) 714 979-7900,. golds@gscoc.org.
Carolyn Berndt (Binky Patrol) 949 559-5502 cberndt@sbcglobal.net
Drop Off Locations:
Girl Scout Service Center, 1620 Adams Ave, Costa Mesa
Girl Scout Program Center, 190 High Drive, Laguna Beach
Girl Scout Program Center, 4652 Casa Loma Ave, Yorba Linda
Home of Virginia & Jack Arnold, 24982 El Cortijo Ln. Mission Viejo
Every Girl Scout makes a commitment, through the Girl Scout Law, to do her best to make the world a better place. The second annual “Caring Hearts, Helping Hands” project, launched this month by the Girl Scout Council of Orange County, will unite the community service efforts of thousands of Girl Scouts who want to make Orange County a better place to live by teaming up with Binky Patrol.
As part of the “Caring Hearts, Helping Hands” project, Girl Scouts chooses a community service organization to offer their assistance to each year. The 2003 recipient is Binky Patrol Comforting Covers for Kids. Binky Patrol provides handmade blankets, or ‘binkies’ to children and teens who are ill, abused, in foster care or experiencing other traumas, to remind them that they are loved and cared for.
“Last year was absolutely amazing! Says Binky Patrol founder Susan Finch. “I wouldn’t miss this year’s drop off day for anything – I loved meeting these compassionate and dedicated young people. We’re so grateful for their commitment.”
For the next several months, Girl Scouts ages five to17, will be busy sewing, knitting, crocheting and quilting blankets to finish them in time for the April 26th drop off date. Last year, The Girl Scouts made almost 1,000 Page 2 binkies. The Council estimates that over 1,500 girl-made blankets will be delivered to Girl Scout program centers in Yorba Linda, Laguna Beach and Costa Mesa for distribution to children in need of comfort throughout Orange County.
The Girl Scouts and Binky Patrol would welcome binky donations from anyone who is concerned about children and wants to help. Just make a ‘binky’ and deliver to any of the above-mentioned Girl Scout program centers that day. Ideas on how to make a binky and drop off addresses are located on Binky Patrol’s website at www.binkypatrol.org. Do a search for “girl scout” or call 949-499-BINK.
“One of the most important things girls learn in Girl Scouting is the reward that comes from doing community service work,” says Christine Shingleton, President of the Board of Directors of the Girl Scout Council of Orange County. “Many of the community leaders in Orange County got their very first taste of helping others when they were in Girl Scouts”.
Girl Scouts of the USA is the world’s pre-eminent organization for girls, with a membership of more than 3.7 million girls and adults. Girl Scouting helps cultivate values, social conscience and self-esteem in young girls, while also teaching them critical life skills that will enable them to succeed as adults. In Girl Scouting – and its special girl-only environment – girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. More than 50 million girls have grown up into confident and strong women since Girl Scouts of the USA was founded 90 years ago.
Visit the Web site at www.gscoc.org. Binky Patrol Comforting Covers for Kids is an all volunteer, national non-profit organization dedicated to making and giving handmade blankets to children and teens. Since the group was founded by Laguna Beach resident Susan Finch in 1996, Binky Patrol has grown to over 140 chapters nationwide and has delivered more than 160,000 binkies.
Mimi Askew, maskew@gscoc.org 714 979-7900, ext. 350, is the person to contact about the Girl Scout Caring Hearts, Helping Hands project.