Girl Scout Daisy Troop 26173 used the Moorestown Lions Club’s 57th Annual Holiday Parade as an opportunity to do community service.
As a new troop leader to Girl Scouts Daisy Troop 26173, Heather Colella was excited to tell her group of 13 girls ages 5 and 6 that they would be marching in The Moorestown Lions Club’s 57th Annual Holiday Parade. Rather than just have the girls dress and march in the winter merriment, Collela wanted to use the parade as lesson.
“I wanted to incorporate some kind of community service,” Colella said.
For that reason, Colella used the Saturday, Dec. 2 festivities as a starting point for her girls’ community service project. During the parade, the daisies collected new winter hats, mittens and gloves for local nonprofit MooreKids. The girls, dressed as snowmen and snowflakes, gathered donations on each side of the parade using two wagons decorated as sleighs.
The girls also passed out candy canes with notes explaining they were kicking off their first community project and encouraging residents to donate to their collection.
Colella said she got the idea to take up a donation for MooreKids following a conversation with a friend who is involved in the organization. She said she knew she wanted to get the girls doing something charitable for the holidays, and connecting with a local nonprofit felt like a perfect fit.
When it came time to explain the project to the girls, Colella said she and her fellow troop leaders discussed the idea of keeping children warm with the girls. She said they explained there are kids who are not fortunate enough to have hats, gloves and mittens to keep them warm during the winter.
“It’s a nice little connection,” Colella said of connecting the girls with MooreKids. “Everybody is excited.”
Colella has advertised the project on a variety of Facebook groups and had her girls ask their teachers and friends to spread the word.
Collela’s daughter, Samantha, said she was excited by the project.
“I like being kind to people because it makes you feel warm inside,” Samantha said.
Fellow Daisy Anna Tesoriero said she was happy to do the project for a simple reason.
“Because people need help,” Tesoriero said.
The Daisies will be collecting donations through December. Anyone wishing to donate can contact Colella via email at heather.colella@gmail.com.
