On Wednesday, Dec. 4, the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders recognized Girl Scout Troop 61672 members Emily Turner and Erin Riley McShea, both of South Harrison Township. The duo was honored for their hard work and for achieving the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award offered by the Girl Scouts of America.
Freeholder Lavender, who serves as Liaison to the Department of Family and Community Health Sciences said, “Ms. Turner and Ms. McShea have focused their efforts on helping their communities and classmates overcome the struggles they may face, in both mental health and disabilities. We are very proud of their accomplishments.”
Turner’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project focused on the emotional health of her high school classmates. Turner hung posters around her school with contact information for the “The Second Floor Youth Hotline,” a confidential, anonymous helpline for young adults to contact should they need help and guidance in addressing challenges they may face at home, school and elsewhere.
McShea’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project was created to provide students with special needs the opportunity to grow physically and artistically through the artistry of dance. McShea worked with students from Bankbridge Elementary and Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT), and held classes twice a week for students with special needs. McShea’s project helped to show GCIT students how much talent students with special needs have to offer. Erin received the Widener Leadership Scholarship award in 2018 and was nominated by GCIT, where she attends high school, in part for her work on her Girl Scout Gold Award.
“These two young women are talking about topics that many adults do not even wish to talk about. By offering a hotline for students struggling with mental and emotional help and giving those with disabilities a creative way to grow, Emily Turner and Erin McShea are promoting an open, welcoming environment within their communities,” added Freeholder Lavender.
