Homelessness is incredibly devastating, especially for children. And sadly, rates of homelessness have increased lately, with a recent report showing that about 1 in 30 children is homeless.
Along with the danger and deprivation that can accompany not having a home, we tend to forget that homelessness also means that children do not have access to quintessential childhood experiences, like playing, or being part of Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop.
Luckily, an amazing woman named Giselle Burgess just created the first Girl Scout troop for homeless girls in New York City. Troop 6000 is made up of 21 girls who are homeless, all of whom currently reside in a shelter in Queens. Burgess, who was once homeless herself, decided to form the troop in order to help bring opportunities, fun and community spirit to the lives of these young girls.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer has supported Burgess in this worthy endeavor, and he had this to say to the New York Times about Troop 6000: “It’s just about the most right thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
Thanks to Burgess and her hard work, these young girls have been able to participate in many wonderful activities. Here they are proudly taking the Girl Scout Pledge:
If you want to help support this worthy cause, you can go to the Girl Scouts website and donate. You can ensure that your donation goes to Troop 6000 by selecting “Girl Scouts in NYC Shelters.”
The Troop 6000 Girl Scouts have many big dreams, including becoming doctors, fashion designers and athletes. Some even say that their goal is to help homeless people when they grow up. You can really see how meaningful the Girl Scouts organization is in these young girls’ lives.
It’s awesome to see that people like Giselle Burgess have ensured that these deserving girls can be a part of the Girl Scout family.
[h/t: Hello Giggles]
This story originally appeared on TheDelite. Checkout TheDelite for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
