Additional Service Opportunities

Description:  The Allen Community Outreach offers girls multiple ways to participate. They could be volunteering with meals-on-wheels, the resale shop, special events, or holiday programs. They could even help by sorting clothes and participating in different drives. Any age is welcome to volunteer.

Description:  The fight to end breast cancer starts with a single step. Every Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event is an opportunity to unite as a community to honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about what we can do to reduce our breast cancer risk, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with breast cancer research, information and services, and access to mammograms for women who need them. Come volunteer at one of our American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks.

Note: This event is open to the public and Girl Scouts are invited to participate. However, remember that, in their Girl Scout capacity, members may not solicit funds for other organizations.

Description:  Bea’s Kids is an after school and summer camp program for low-income children with centers in Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Dallas, and North Dallas. Ongoing volunteers are needed as tutors throughout the school year and are also invited to volunteer at one of our Bea’s Kids Summer Camps.

Description:  Bill’s Bookshelf is a project that provides new or gently used children’s books free to families in the Tyler community. Books are donated by members of the community through book drives, then sorted, cleaned and affixed with a label by volunteers. These books are placed on special bookshelves at sites where low-income families have easy access to them. Children are invited to take a book home to keep and share. How can Girl Scouts help? Girls can hold a book drive; become a bookshelf caretaker, screen bookshelf books or host a bookshelf or drop-off location.

Description:  We would like our Girl Scout Troops and Service Units to adopt this project on an annual basis. Birthday boxes can be built and delivered to various agencies throughout the year. One of the activities for Girl Scout Birthday Week is to build and distribute birthday boxes in your community. Agencies can be for youth or the elderly, the choice is yours. Listed below is a recipe for a birthday box:

• 1 cake mix (any flavor)
• 1 frosting mix (can or box, any flavor)
• 1 package birthday candles
• 1 supply of party ware (plates, cups, forks, napkins)
• 1 festive set of party decorations (streamers, balloons, party hats)
• 1 birthday gift (child or elderly person, either gender)
• 1 birthday card
• 1 fun activity to help celebrate (games, music, crafts)

Description:  The Texas Central Hemophilia Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting opportunities to improve the quality of life for all affected by Hemophilia and related bleeding disorders. The Association is committed to providing and supporting programs or research related to patient, public and professional education and patient, family and community services. Volunteers are needed to help with the yearly summer camp, annual meeting or educational events. We also have opportunities to make gift baskets for the holidays for families in need.

Description:  ConKerr Cancer is an organization that takes donations of handmade pillowcases for children hospitalized with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. There is a chapter formed to support Children’s Medical Center (Dallas and Legacy campuses). See the 'How to Help' tab on the website www.ConKerrCancer.org for sewing directions and click on 'Regional Directory' for drop-off locations. For more information you can email Cindy at cindy@conkerrcancer.org

Description:  CASA for KIDS’ mission is to prevent child abuse, to represent the best interest of every child in the court system and provide opportunities to the children of Lamar, Red River and Delta counties so they can grow into responsible and productive adults. Every spring, we gather all baby items, large and small, for our Nine Months PLUS Class. They need strollers, high chairs, car seats, baby beds and baby play pens, and all items for a baby to come home from the hospital in. June through August, we gather up all types of school supplies and new backpacks for children who cannot afford them. In November, we gather toys and pajamas for boys and girls who don’t have a home or anyone to buy them Christmas gifts.

Description:  City House has opened its doors to runaway and homeless youth, ages 5-17, at its 24-bed emergency shelter, My Friend’s House. Community referred youth may stay at My Friend’s House for up to 21 days, during which time they will receive a comprehensive package of services to meet their medical, educational, social and developmental needs. Additionally, family based counseling and crisis intervention services will be offered to help aid in reunification and/or long-term placement of the child in a stable and safe home environment.

Description:  Monthly workdays are opportunities to join other volunteers in caring for two community teaching gardens. Girl Scouts will feel empowered to make a difference in the world as they participate in hands-on tasks to learn important gardening skills like building and turning a compost pile, pruning, planting, transplanting, weeding and mulching. Special projects may include sanding and repainting sheds, helping to build raised gardening beds, harvesting and packaging fresh produce for the community food pantry. All skill levels are welcome. Volunteer release forms must be completed and submitted prior to the workday.

Description:  This on-campus, stay-in-school program is for at-risk students in grades preK-12, in eight school districts: Dallas, Irving, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Richardson, Plano, McKinney, Midlothian, and Commerce. Volunteers work with students individually and in groups, serving as mentors and tutors. CIS staff will be on site to provide support and direction. Summer and one-time volunteer opportunities are available as well. Criminal background checks and training required.

Description:  Learn how to be a museum volunteer at the Crow Collection of Asian Art! Help visitors of all ages appreciate art and culture through engaging young visitors in art activities, assisting with special events, helping prepare craft materials, and more.

Description:  Protecting our nation’s environment is of paramount concern to all Americans, as reflected in national polling results that consistently rank the environment as one of the top three priorities among consumers. It is the mission of Earth 911 to empower the public with community-specific resources to improve their quality of life.

Description:  The Family Place needs volunteers to conduct service projects throughout the year and at the holidays. Your Girl Scout Troop may choose to organize or participate in a Winter Holiday, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Halloween or Thanksgiving event, or create your own. We are excited to host Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Award projects and would be delighted to discuss your ideas with you. In addition, we welcome Community service donation drives of items for each of these holidays and have an ongoing need for all things baby related, for new and used household items, gift certificates and toys, as well as food pantry and paper goods items.

Description:  Courtesy of Girl Scout Council of Southeastern Massachusetts. According to figures released by the World Bank, one out of every eight human beings is hungry most of the time. Nationally, 1 in 6 American children live in homes at risk of hunger. No one Girl Scout Troop will be able to put an end to hunger, but we can work together to make a difference in our communities. Not only do we have to contribute to local food agencies, we need to change the way we think when it comes to hunger in our neighborhoods. Listed below you will find suggested activities to do with your Girl Scout Troop to increase awareness of hunger issues and to give them 12 tangible ways to help hungry people. Remember, these are just suggestions. Visit your local food bank or soup kitchen to learn more about their specific needs.

JANUARY: Visit www.thehungersite.com. Every time you log on to The Hunger Site and click on the icon that says, “Give Free Food Now,” the website sponsors donate 1 cup of rice to people in need. You can log on EVERY DAY and help feed the hungry people of the world!

FEBRUARY: The Shopping Habit. Every time you go to the supermarket, buy something specifically for donation to the food bank. Remember, the best foods to donate are HEALTHY foods that serve many, such as rice, beans, peanut butter, cereal, tuna and pasta.

MARCH: Be a Coupon Clipper. Clip healthy food and toiletry coupons from newspapers, magazines and circulars. Donate them to your local food pantry. Remember, coupons expire so donate them regularly!

APRIL: Spring Clean Your Kitchen or Pantry. We all have food in our kitchen and pantry that we bought and then decided not to use. Gather these food items and donate them to a food pantry or a soup kitchen.

MAY: Organize a Food Drive. Organize a food drive with your Girl Scout Troop, school, church, synagogue or mosque. Collect non-perishable (things that will not spoil) foods and take them to a food pantry or soup kitchen.

JUNE: Volunteer with your family. Bring your family and friends and volunteer to cook, set up, serve and clean up a meal at a soup kitchen.

JULY: Buy Food and Products That Help Others. Many companies donate a portion of their profits to organizations that help others. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Paul Newman Products, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, American Express and Land’s End all donate some of their profits to help make the world a better place. Try to buy these products whenever you can!

AUGUST: Be a Teacher. Try to teach others about what you have learned concerning hungry people. Talk about the things you can do to help hungry people in your community. Get others to help you with your projects for the hungry.

SEPTEMBER: Spread the Bread. A global grassroots “community” bread-giving organization that encourages people, especially our youth, to bake any kind of bread and spread that bread to honor our heroes and to help those in need. The bread is wrapped with love and tied with notes of gratitude, hope or inspiration. With a simple recipe, anyone can “bake a difference.” Visit www.spreadthebread.org for more ideas.

OCTOBER: A Good Deed on Halloween. Donate a predetermined portion of your Halloween candy to a soup kitchen or food pantry. You can decide to donate 10% (for every ten pieces of candy you have, you donate one) or you can donate the candy that you do not like. Either way, someone will be happy to get a Halloween treat. Set up a large bowl by your door for Trick or Treaters. Ask them to put in a donation of candy for you to bring to the soup kitchen.

NOVEMBER: Be Thankful on Thanksgiving. Take time during your Thanksgiving Feast to talk about the problems of hunger in the world. Use the Thanksgiving meal as a time to choose a project for you and your family to do to help the hungry. Remember, if you have a lot of Thanksgiving feast leftovers, the soup kitchen will be happy to receive them.

DECEMBER: Holiday Baking for Everyone. Many families bake all kinds of delicious treats for the holidays: cookies, pies, cakes and candies. Bake a special batch of treats for the food pantry so that everyone can have a happy and sweet holiday!

Description:  Gendercide is the silent elimination of females, young and old, through sex-selective abortion, infanticide, gross neglect, and for older women, lack of access to food and shelter. Today, there are 117 million women and girls missing in the world. The Gendercide Awareness Project is soliciting 11,700 pairs of handmade, ethnically diverse baby booties from all around the world. Each pair represents 10,000 missing women and girls. The baby booties will be displayed in a long, winding corridor. Visitors will learn how to take action by supporting overseas women’s organizations.

Description:  Greater Texas Community Partners is an umbrella organization for volunteer groups throughout the state helping abused and neglected children. The major program to help these children is the Rainbow Room, which is an emergency resource center stocked with all NEW items such as clothing, shoes, coats, toiletries, baby formula, and school supplies. These items are readily accessible to Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworkers when they need to remove children from an unsafe situation or when a family is in crisis. The Rainbow Room is supported totally by private donations and volunteers. There are currently 143 Rainbow Rooms across Texas, located in both large cities and many small communities. Opportunities abound for Girl Scout projects to support these Rainbow Rooms. There are several ways that Girl Scout Troops may assist:

1. Donation of NEW clothing such as blue jeans, shorts, shirts, school uniforms, shoes, toiletries, toys and baby items.
2. The Rainbow Room would love to collaborate with Girl Scouts working on their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Please contact the Rainbow Room in your area to determine specific needs and what projects may be available.
3. Many Rainbow Rooms will offer tours and have specific events throughout the year that require volunteers. Please contact the Rainbow Rooms in your area found on the website listed below for further information.

Description:  The Greens is a PBS website that encourages children to explore sustainability and take action wherever they can. The Greens is offering free activity guides to educators working with 9-12 year-olds. The guide pairs hands-on activities to deepen kids’ understanding of topics like recycling and global warming with campaigns to reduce junk mail and get drivers to stop idling cars. These topics work well with the It’s Your Planet, Love It Journey series.

Description:  Habitat 4 Paws is an animal rescue group in the DFW area whose mission is to rescue and find permanent homes for dogs and cats while caring for them in a volunteer staffed adoption facility and foster program. Habitat 4 Paws is looking for Girl Scouts to take on the project of making "Adopt Me" vests for the rescue dogs. An example and instructions can be found at adoptmevests.wordpress.com.

Description:   Habitat Denton County is an independently chartered affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which developed our model of partnership housing. We don’t build houses for needy families; we build houses with them. New habitat homeowners put in 350-400 hours of work on the construction site alongside thousands of volunteers, before they actually move into their new home. Volunteers are one part of what makes the houses we build affordable. The other part is a zero-interest mortgage that allows homeowners to pay back the cost of their house through monthly payments that they can afford.

Description:  The Velvet Snout, LLC (Canine Adventure Center) is running a pet food donation program in conjunction with the North Texas Food Bank. The “Hungry Snout” Pet Food donation program is hoping to bring in about 10,000 lbs. of donated pet food which will go to the North Texas Food Bank to help families that are struggling to make ends meet and to provide relief to hungry pets, and hopefully keep more pets out of our local shelters.

Description:  Juliette Fowler Homes, Inc. is an assisted living facility that is in need of volunteers to help interact with the residents. This is a great volunteering opportunity for groups or individuals. Fowler offers both resident interaction and non-resident interaction volunteer opportunities. Some projects would include crafts, musical presentations, parties, BINGO, ice cream service, and maybe even help the residents through some day outings!

Description:  Keeping our world beautiful is an idea that should resonate in our girl’s minds. The community in Carrollton has many activities and programs to help the community understand the importance of a clean environment.

Description:  The Military Order of the World Wars would like to assist Girl Scouts to work together to give back to the community and honor our veterans. They have several projects that Girl Scouts may do for service hours to work towards a Community Service Bar. Call us to discuss your ideas for Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards.

Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery

• Establishment of Memorial Gardens – Gold or Silver Award projects
• Laying of wreaths: National effort Remember the Fallen; honor those who serve; teach our children the value of freedom
• Flags for cemetery major events: Place and pick up flags
• Volunteers to clean monuments
• Veterans Hospitals projects (Dallas, Bonham, Tyler, Ft. Worth, Waco, Temple)
• Fisher House for families of veterans receiving treatment at Dallas VA Hospital

Description:  Imagination and energy needed! Girls acting as Museum Buddies can volunteer to help with an event day: assist young children with arts and crafts, do face painting, help set up and clean up the arts and craft areas, help with role playing in the log cabin, lead the children on a dino dig in our Dinosaur Alley, and more! Girls can research an exhibit and share their new found knowledge with other Girl Scouts or with museum visitors. Girl Scouts who are willing to plan and run a workshop, or create an event day and facilitate it, start to finish, could possibly earn their Silver or Gold Awards.

Description:  My Possibilities is an organization serving adults with disabilities (Autism, Down Syndrome, Asperger’s, Prader-Willi, head injuries, etc.). It is the FIRST full day, full year continuing education program in Collin County for disabled Texans who have “aged out” of secondary education. My Possibilities is considered a leader in the local community and throughout North Texas providing vocational training, socialization opportunities and independent living skills development for adults with disabilities. The organization is particularly interested in working with girls on their Silver and Gold Award projects.

Description:  My Very Own Book runs reading incentive programs in Title 1 elementary schools in Dallas, Plano, and Richardson ISDs. Students read (or are read to) outside of school hours and are rewarded with a certificate and a new, free book of their choice every six-week period. The organization is working to increase literacy skills, put new books into the homes of families who often can’t afford to purchase their own new books, as well as setting students on the path to becoming lifelong readers.

Description:  Reuse-A-Shoe is a key component of Nike’s long-term commitment to waste elimination by helping to close the loop on the life cycle of literally millions of pairs of old, worn-out or otherwise unusable athletic shoe material. So we’ve created a solution to allow you to recycle your old shoes! Reuse-A-Shoe, part of our Let Me Play campaign, is one of Nike’s longest-running environmental and community programs, where worn out athletic shoes of any brand are collected, processed and recycled into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for young people around the world.

• Athletic shoes only (any brand)
• No shoes containing metal
• No cleats or dress shoes
• No wet or damp shoes

Description:  Volunteers are invaluable to the Food Bank. Without the 60,000 plus hours of volunteer help each year, the NTFB would be unable to provide food to the hundreds of thousands of hungry North Texans it currently serves. We want to accommodate all individuals and groups that want to volunteer at the NTFB warehouse. And because we want to ensure the best volunteer experience, we will no longer be able to accept individuals or groups that have not made reservations in advance. You may schedule your volunteer time in advance with our Volunteer Coordinator. Thank you for sharing your time with the North Texas Food Bank!

Description:  A “One Warm Coat” collection is an easy and convenient way to help people in need in your community. Our goal is to provide any person in need with a warm coat, free of charge. We want to help you or your Girl Scout Troop create a successful and fun event. Your Girl Scout Troop selects the dates of your coat collection and the agency to receive the coats (the coats must be given for FREE). Then, tell One Warm Coat about your collection plans by completing and sharing the "Share Your Plans" form. Upon completion of the project and paperwork, One Warm Coat will send you a certificate of appreciation.

Description:  Operation Happy Sock is a fun program for anyone who wants to help homeless cats in their local animal shelter. Girls discover how to make simple cat toys (called “Happy Socks”) as they gain practical life skills while helping orphaned cats. Happy Socks are made by stuffing catnip and polyester fiberfill in the toe of a sock and tying a knot at the ankle. Simple, but a GREAT catnip toy! The best part is connecting with your community locally and globally by visiting the animal shelter, so the cats can say “THANK YOU” in person!

Description:  Plano Children’s Medical Clinic is a non-profit clinic that provides medical care for children living in Collin County who have no insurance or who are on Medicaid or CHIP. Medical care and if necessary medicine is provided. The clinic is more than medicine. The clinic stocks items that families may need such as baby formula, diapers, baby products, toiletries, socks, underwear, snack bags, books, toys and school supplies. The clinic is supported by private donations from individuals, churches, clubs and organizations. There are several ways that Girl Scout Troops may help assist children:

• Donations of baby goods, health and beauty products, books, and children’s clothing
• Provide snack bags for latch key children. Suggested items for the bags are: cheese crackers, dried fruit, cereal bar, snack bag of cookies, and juice box. (Please no peanut products).

The clinic would love to collaborate with Girl Scouts working on Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Award Projects. Tours of the clinic may be scheduled throughout the school year.

Description:  Both the Girl Scouts and America have long and proud traditions of volunteer service. The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation created the President’s Volunteer Service Award Program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to be of service to their own communities. GSNETX is a certifier of this program. For information on how to apply for the awards go to www.gsnetx.org/forms.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families and groups that have achieved a certain standard – measured by the number of hours served over a 12 month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of the lifetime, depending upon the honor bestowed. All types of service that strengthen the community qualify for this award. For more information, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

Description:  The purpose of Project Baby Shower is to provide gifts for a baby shower for groups of mothers-to-be in the Life Shines Bright Centering Pregnancy program in the Golden Cross Academic Clinic. Each group has 10-12 women with similar due dates. Girls can provide a “baby shower” for one of the pre-natal program groups and collect baby gifts for the mothers-to-be. Girls can also collect baby items to be part of those given during one of the showers.

Description:  The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: Race for the Cure Women’s 5K Run/Walk. The race, which promotes awareness and public education about breast cancer, is sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Race for the Cure© depends on volunteers to carry out a multitude of jobs before, during and sometimes after the race - the opportunities are endless! For race information or other ways you can help, contact your local branch.

Note: This event is open to the public and Girl Scouts are invited to participate. However, remember that, in their Girl Scout capacity, members may not solicit funds for other organizations.

Description:  Volunteering for girls in grades 6 and up is available at the Sam Rayburn House Museum for the following:

• Helping with scheduled group tours
• Outdoor activities such as general gardening and vegetable gardening
• Helping during celebrations and educational events throughout the year that could include such activities as assisting tour guides, setting up tables and chairs and decorating, greeting visitors and serving light refreshments
• Preparing invitations and newsletters for mailing

Description:  For Silver Lining, Girl Scouts can volunteer in various ways in nursing home facilities. This includes, but is not limited to, spending one-on-one time with residents, delivering hugs and smiles, performing, celebrating and decorating for different special occasions, reading and writing letters, and even making “welcome” gifts for new residents.

Description:  Sparky’s Pals has Service Hour Opportunities for Girl Scouts from GS Brownies to GS Ambassadors. We are ready to work with you towards your GS Silver and GS Gold Awards.

1. Service Hours: You can volunteer with us at a variety of Animal Rescue and Humane Education events, which include, but are not limited to, festivals open to the public and monthly meetings where we work on projects to benefit both humans and pets. Check our monthly calendar for upcoming opportunities.
2. GS Silver Award Candidates: Meet with us to discuss your project ideas and talk about our organizational needs, which might fit with your interests. For instance, write and print a children’s book with a humane theme; organize a sewing project to make cat hammocks; or research and teach a class on a pet care subject using educational posters and handouts you create.
3. GS Gold Awards Candidates: Here is a sampling of our project ideas, but we’ll work with you on your ideas, too:
   1. Organize a humane education festival
   2. Organize a Sparky’s Pals Humane Teen Education Club. As the club’s first project, choose a humane topic and create a multi-media presentation, which they will then present to the community.
   3. Create a photographic exhibit which can be used to educate the public about the need for good veterinary care for their pets, or about the need for spay/neuter.
   4. Organize a foodbank for pets.

Description:  Special Olympics is a non-profit program of year-round sports training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics holds competitions at the local, state, national and world levels with the help of thousands of volunteers. The Special Olympians train in all types of sports. Competitions feature all the pageantry of the Olympic movement: torch runs, opening ceremonies, and awards.

Description:  Serving the less fortunate can become a great learning experience for many girls. At The Stewpot, girls 12 years of age and older who are accompanied by a parent or guardian will be given the opportunity to serve food to the less fortunate in the Dallas community.

Description:  TeCo Theatrical Productions, Inc. is an award-winning multicultural theatre company that offers a full season of performances at the newly renovated Bishop Arts Theater Center. Volunteers are needed to serve as ushers, ticket takers and assist in the box office with the selling of tickets and concessions. Girl Scout Ambassadors are ideal for this opportunity.

Description:  Looking for students interested in service opportunities at Texas State Parks. Opportunities exist throughout the year, varying from helping with 5K events and similar events, youth and family activities, customer service and promotion. Topics of interest include astronomy, geocaching, culture and history, healthy hikes, paddling, forests and wildlife, visitor services, science, literature and art in nature. Activities may occur on weekends, during the week, day and evening hours. Students may volunteer for one day, a few hours, or choose to help with several activities which span a semester.

Description:  Did you know? Each urban tree with a 50-year life span provides an estimated $273 a year in reduced costs for air conditioning, erosion control, storm water control, air pollution and wildlife shelter! The Texas Trees Foundation in Dallas holds volunteer work days to plant, transplant and learn about trees the third Saturday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Due to extreme heat, volunteer events are not scheduled for the summer months. Volunteers are asked to bring a pair of gardening gloves and wear old clothes and closed toe shoes. You may bring your own water or water will be provided.

Description:  Toys For Tots needs girls, their parents and leaders to help in the Grand Prairie warehouse to sort toys according to age and gender (Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts may also tally amounts of toys going to different charities). All volunteers will need to dress according to the weather, so dress in layers and gloves if it is cold. The warehouse is supposedly heated, but the bay doors will be opened frequently for accepting and dispersing toys.

Description:  "Who Cares? You Can!" is the official guide to cool volunteer opportunities for folks under 21. The book provides information about the needs of 150 different agencies in Dallas, Collin and Tarrant Counties and has sections detailing the types of service needed, age groups needed, whether or not projects are suitable for groups, and geographic locations of projects.