Friday, April 27, 2018

GSWPA volunteers have H.E.A.R.T. | Guest Blog with Angela Cochran

Hand-raiser. Expert. Advocate. Resource. Teacher.



Angela was nominated as a GSWPA volunteer with H.E.A.R.T. for stepping up to support her troop during the 2018 Cookie Program.


Angela Cochran
Somerset | Troop 52905

I've been a volunteer with Girl Scouts since October 2017.

My daughter, who is five years old, is very shy and afraid to talk to strangers. The first time she had to work a cookie booth on her own, I was concerned she wouldn't talk to any of the potential customers passing by. I told her if she wanted to sell a lot of cookies to reach her initial goal (750 boxes), she needed to ask people if they would like to buy.

I told her I was not asking, and that it was her responsibility. She stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. I could not believe how much selling cookies and being goal driven brought her out of her shell. She asked everyone. And each person that showed even the littlest bit of interest, she talked their ear off about the cookies, especially her favorite, the Girl Scout S'more Cookie. I was so glad I was able to witness this with her. If I wasn't a volunteer as a leader, I wouldn't have been there with her to watch her blossom.

I want the girls to look back at Girl Scouts and remember all of the fun experiences they had and the friendships they had with their fellow Girl Scouts. I was a Girl Scout throughout elementary school, and I still think back on all of the fun we used to have at meetings and especially at camp.

As I move forward as a leader, I would like to think of activities and experiences that will impact their future positively. Perhaps, I can instill a love of nature, a love of traveling, or a love of crafting.

Ask your Girl Scout to share what their volunteer means to them by sending us one of these: 
• A photo of the two of them together 
• A photo of a short, hand-written note of thanks 
• A short thank you video 
Send all media to socialmedia@gswpa.org.