Our Promise, January 2021

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January 2021

OUR PROMISE The new year is a natural time of reflection. When I look back at 2020, I see a year where our Girl Scouts represented our core values of courage, confidence and character more than ever before. especially excited to share our new Live from Girl Scouts program—a brand new hybrid program for girls at every age level.

Girls do not stop growing during a pandemic, and Girl Scouts do not give up in the face of obstacles! The creativity and innovation displayed by our staff and volunteers have allowed girls to continue to build skills, grow in confidence and challenge themselves in a safe all-girl, girl-led environment. None of this would be possible without the continued support of our community. This new year, I am grateful for you and your gifts of time, talent and treasure. Because of you, more girls will explore their potential and become the leaders we need in our community and beyond! Thank you!

Each individual Girl Scout in eastern Missouri showed innovation and resilience in the face of many obstacles. They stayed curious and navigated new ways to learn. They continued to give back by organizing their troops to sew masks or participate in a new virtual Autumn Showers drive. They stayed connected by finding ways to host troop meetings via Zoom or gather together outdoors to earn a badge.

In so many ways, our Girl Scouts proved to us all that girl power can’t be quarantined!

Throughout this issue of Our Promise , we will be highlighting many of the ways Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri has continued to provide the best leadership development program for girls in the world while adhering to new health and safety guidelines. I am

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Bonnie Barczykowski CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Welcome New Board Members Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri welcomes our new board members! New members-at-large are leaders in their fields and poised to help Girl Scouts innovate and succeed.

Kimberly Hodge-Bell, Phd, DABT Senior Science Fellow & Macromolecule Toxicology Lead Bayer U.S. — Crop Science

Christine Iovaldi Customer Experience Manager Dot Foods, Inc.

Mark Murray Partner Armstrong Teasdale, LLP

Dana Plonka Vice President of Risk and Strategic Finance Alter Trading Corporation (ATC)/Goldstein Group, Inc.

Community Service - Reimagined

For 22 years, April Showers has been an opportunity for eastern Missouri Girl Scouts to serve their communities. Although April Showers was postponed due to COVID-19, our communities’

were able to select and purchase items for donation. All items were delivered to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s office and distributed to participating agencies with our partner, Operation Food Search. “Beyond food, personal care items are the most requested by our community food partners (pantries),” said Kristen Wild, Executive Director of Operation Food Search. “Autumn Showers donations are greatly appreciated by all pantry clients, and Operation Food Search is equally grateful to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri for these crucial donations.” Girl Scouts is synonymous with giving back and for the past century, eastern Missouri Girl Scouts have been making a positive difference through girl-led initiatives, including Autumn Showers. Since 1998, local area Girl Scouts have collected more than 24 million personal care items with generous support from families, friends and neighbors. As many Autumn Showers recipients are living at or below the federal poverty level, hundreds of thousands of households count on these life-changing donations.

need for personal care items still exists. This past fall, our members helped individuals and families in need by participating in a virtual version of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s largest community service program, Autumn Showers. In total, 81,281 personal care items were donated.

Girl Scouts across eastern Missouri shared a registry link with their families and friends to collect shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, disposable diapers and other personal care items. These donated essentials were delivered to more than 80 local shelters, pantries and other nonprofits who then directly distributed to individuals and families in need.

Supported through Walmart Registry for Good and sponsored by Delta Dental, community members

Girl Scouts Can’t Be Quarantined For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts have stepped up in times of crisis and turmoil. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, eastern Missouri Girl Scouts continue taking charge, determined to do their part in making the world a better, more positive place. Mira Lyer, Girl Scout Senior

Ruth and her Girl Scout sisters have assembled and sewed more than 45 headbands with buttons. Ruth Kamp, Girl Scout Junior “What’s so special about my Girl Scout troop is that they care a lot for their leaders. My mom works at an urgent care, and after wearing a mask all day, her ears would hurt. They wanted to help, so they sewed her a headband with buttons on the sides.”

“Giving back has always been a really important to me; I love to serve. I think Girl Scouts has had a lot to do with that. I feel like now, in this pandemic, it was necessary to do something.” Mira and her mom, Shanthi, have carved out several hours every evening to cut and sew masks.

Before

After

History Brought Back to Life

Nestled on 83 acres in Labadie, Mo., Camp Fiddlecreek is one of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s three camp properties. This past spring, the renovation of one of the property’s oldest buildings, Trefoil Inn, was completed. Longtime Girl Scout supporters, Peggy and Jim Piotraschke of Kimmswick, Mo., have continued their family’s legacy of contributing to Camp Fiddlecreek. In 2016, the Piotraschke family donated $1 million to fund Camp Fiddlecreek’s newest lodge, Myrtle Manor. The Piotraschke family then made a $180,000 pledge to renovate Trefoil Inn in 2018. The Trefoil Inn was built in the 1880s and purchased by the Girl Scout Council in 1956 from the Pius X Monastery. The structure served different roles until it closed due to conditions of concern. Thanks to the Piotraschke family’s

generosity, Trefoil Inn has been restored to its original log and mortar state.

“Camping is a legacy Girl Scout program providing girls opportunities to tackle new challenges, build social bonds and develop an appreciation for nature,” said Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. “We are grateful to have the support of Peggy and Jim, who have made an enduring impact on Camp Fiddlecreek and the thousands of future Girl Scouts who will create life-long memories here.” The Trefoil Inn is now open to Girl Scouts and their troops to use while visiting Camp Fiddlecreek. The Trefoil Inn will offer extra space for camp programming and meeting space for Girl Scout troops and volunteers.

Girl Scouts in 2020

Girl Scouting from Home 10 Weeks, 30 Virtual Programs

from

Program boxes delivered right to Girl Scout homes

GIRL SCOUTS

6,000+ Girls Served Through Live from Girl Scouts

Topics include: Inventor, Trees Badge, Business Creator, Budding Entrepreneur, Toy Designer, Cybersecurity Basics, Democracy, Fun with Robots

Highest Awards

Service Girl Scouts are committed to making a difference in their communities. 81,281 Items Donated Through Autumn Showers Autumn Showers

461 Eastern Missouri Girl Scouts Earned Girl Scouts’ highest community service awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. The awards acknowledge the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making a permanent and positive mark on our world.

Cookies

89,000+ Donated to USO of Mo. 2.4+ million Cookie Packages Sold powering amazing adventures for girls

Programs

150 Program Collaborators Bring their expertise to our girls in three focus areas: STEM, Money Management and Health 91 FIRST® Robotics Teams Girl Scouts have access to hands-on, girl-

Through our donation program to the USO, Troop to Troop, Girl Scout customers purchase cookies for members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Scholarships & Assistance $1,000,000+ Granted in program support and scholarships, memberships and unifrom assistance $

focused STEM programs, including Robotics. Our exponential growth demonstrates girls’ interest and our commitment to STEM.

52,399 Badges Earned

Through badgework girls build relevant skills to lead in our technological world.

New badges continue to be released providing girls experiences in space science, cybersecurity and the outdoors/environment.

Lights ... Camera ... Action! Eastern Missouri Girl Scouts tune in to Live from Girl Scouts, a new interactive, hybrid program!

Without a doubt, every Girl Scout in eastern Missouri has shown resilience, courage and innovation this year. As girls dealt with adjustments to virtual learning, limited access to social engagements, and cancellation

who provides expertise and insight on the episode’s topic and serves as an important role model for girls as they explore STEM, entrepreneurship, life skills, and more. With registration still open, Live from Girl Scouts has successfully garnered more than 6,000 registrations for its initial 10-week run. Girl Scouts anticipates that final participation in Live from Girl Scouts first season alone will exceed the total in-person program attendance numbers from the previous year. The Council recently announced season two of this groundbreaking program to commence on March 2, 2021. However, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri believes that simply creating these impactful programs is not enough— and is taking steps to ensure every girl has the ability to participate. Episodes have been broadcast from Kirksville and Washington to allow troops that live farther from the program center to be chosen for the live audience. Though each Live from Girl Scouts activity box ranges in cost from $20-$35 per person, continued community support allows the Council to offer the program at a cost of $10 to our Girl Scouts, removing the financial barrier for many families. This time of innovation is a time for Girl Scouts to thrive. Live from Girl Scouts is just one example from a long history of Girl Scouts meeting the moment and overcoming obstacles.

of extra-curricular activities, it became more important than ever for Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri to find creative and innovative ways to bring the best leadership development program for girls in the world to each and every Girl Scout in our region. To that end, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri launched Live from Girl Scouts on October 20, a brand-new series of interactive programs delivered in-person and online. LIVE from Girl Scouts broadcasts three episodes every week, each one catering to a specific age group and program topic. One lucky troop is chosen to participate live in the Berges Family Program Center while hundreds of additional girls are able to join via Zoom. All virtual participants receive an activity box of supplies delivered directly to their homes that includes all the materials needed for the program. Live from Girl Scouts offers girls the opportunity to combine leadership and growth development in a fun, flexible and informal environment featuring in-person and virtual experiences that support girl-driven exploration and learning. Each episode features a “mystery guest,”

“Live from Girl Scouts has helped me because I cannot normally meet like I could before or get with my troop and now I can see some of them on Zoom and I can do normal things as I would in a regular meeting,” -Audrey Meyer, Girl Scout Junior “Live from Girl Scouts has helped my daughter develop independence and social interaction. She is always excited when the Live box arrives and can’t wait for the event night to come. Watching her find some independence in Girl Scouts is wonderful for a leader to see of her own child. -Katherine Van Horn, Girl Scout Brownie Troop Leader and Parent

Photo Captions, Left to Right 1. Girl Scout Troop 342 participates as the in-person troop for the Junior Cybersecurity program 2. Ally Roehl, Older Girl Program Manger, presents her GIRLtopia Live from Girl Scouts program box materials 3. Girl Scout Josie Ernst, at the first Live from Girl Scouts program 4. Diana Forbes from General Motors as one of the mystery guests for the Automotive Manufactoring program 5. Girl Scout Cadettes gain new skills and earn a badge as they watch live through Zoom 6. Girl Scout Seniors, Amber and Autumn Rush prepare to complete a Girl Scout Journey

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri 2300 Ball Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146 314.592.2300 800.727.GIRL (4475)

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID ST. LOUIS, MO PERMIT No. 1875

Upcoming Girl Scout Events Dessert First February 25, 2021

Join us as we celebrate the extraordinary achievements and contributions of the two amazing Gold Award Girl Scout Dessert First scholarship awardees and three Legacy Builders! In this year’s exciting new virtual format. The evening begins with home delivery of dinner, wine and a sampler of Girl Scout Cookie-inspired desserts created by prominent St. Louis chefs. A streaming program will follow where we will highlight our awardees and celebrate 103 years of Girl Scouting in eastern Missouri. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit girlscoutsem.org/dessertfirst .

WLN Mindful Morning March 17, 2021

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s Women’s Leadership Network invites all adult women to join the 2021 WLN Mindful Morning Series. Throughout the year, Mindful Mornings will be highlighting the five main outcomes associated with Girl Scouting and exploring how we can continue to develop these skills as adults. In this small group setting, learn how other women navigate their professional and personal path and hear how Girl Scouts is teaching the girls of today to be leaders of tomorrow. Sign up for WLN email alerts to receive information on registering at girlscoutsem.org/wln .

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