Preparations are well underway for Jessica Markowitz’s Girl Scout Gold Award project.
The 16-year-old Lenape High School junior has well exceeded the required hours of hours for the project, said her proud mother, Tina Markowitz.
On Saturday, Sept. 22, Jessica will host a four-hour breast cancer awareness event, open to the public with R.S.V.P. at her high school.
The day will begin with a seminar in the LGI from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by crafts in the south cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a scout can earn. It is the equivalent of the Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout status, said Tina.
“There’s a lot of requirements that you have to do,” she said.
For the project, the scouts have to write a basic proposal including the concept of their idea, how they are going to do it, the fundraising involved, diagrams and then submit it to Girl Scout Council.
“Once they have the approval, they can hit the ground running and do their project,” she said.
A minimum of 80 hours of work is required, but Jessica’s project has surpassed that number, reaching at least 115 hours, said Tina.
“It was very, very involved,” she said.
Virtua Hospital will be bringing representatives to the seminar and there will be guest speakers talking of their own experiences.
Jessica’s grandmother is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at age 44. She will speak. Her great grandmother also had breast cancer and passed away shortly after the diagnosis, said Tina.
“It’s something that runs in our family,” she explained.
Jessica has been regularly updating her own blog, Pillows For Patients.
Her first post, on June 16, explained that the project had been in the plans for more than a year at that point.
“We would love helpers,” said Tina of the crafting portion.
Volunteers will be making compression pillows to place under armpits to alleviate pressure from incision sites following surgery and drainage bags covers.
The drainage bags help in draining excess fluids after a mastectomy.
The Susan B. Komen Foundation also donated 500 T-shirts and hats.
“We’re still collecting things,” Tina said, to add to care packages.
Jessica learned that the compression pillows are helpful through her grandmother’s experience.
“We mentioned this one to her and since it’s close to her heart, she thought it would be a really good choice,” said Tina.
Recent fundraisers for the project included a car wash and bake sale as well as a trip to Lenape High School to start cutting patterns into different pieces for the Sept. 22 event.
About 12 people helped her wash the cars and roughly 20 people headed to Lenape to help.
This project has helped her daughter build confidence, professionalism and leadership skills, Tina said.
“I think it’s giving her some very lifelong skills that will help her in so many areas,” she said. “She’s feeling very uplifted and rewarded. It’s been very positive feedback.”
Pillows for Patients
To R.S.V.P., head to Jessica’s blog, pillows4patients.wordpress.com and follow her directions. It is possible to either solely attend the seminar or to only attend the crafting section, or to stay for both, according to her website.
