Girl Scouts’ Annual Tree of Joy Celebrates 35 Years!
WHO: Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington, Service Unit 62
WHAT: Girl Scouts’ Annual Tree of Joy … Celebrating 35 Years!
Community members throughout the North Bend and Coos Bay areas can help brighten the holiday season for those less fortunate—including children, families, at-risk youth, homeless people and senior citizens. Last year community members generously provided 1600 gifts for neighbors in need!
WHEN: November 16 through December 21, 2018
WHERE: Pony Village Mall, 1611 Virginia Ave., North Bend, OR 97459
HOW: How does it work?
It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- Select an ornament from the Tree of Joy
- Purchase the gift requested on the ornament
- Return wrapped gifts with the original ornament by December 20
All names have been changed to protect their identities and situations. All of the needs of the recipients on the tree come from local agencies, not individuals or families.
Tree of Joy Questions?
Please email questions regarding the Tree of Joy to: viceunit62@gmail.com">serviceunit62@gmail.com
Background
The Tree of Joy service project was started in 1983 by a Girl Scout troop of sixth grade girls. Through the years, thousands of gifts have been distributed to agencies throughout the North Bend and Coos Bay areas.
About Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington
Girl Scouting inspires millions of girls and women—including more than 23,000 active members in Oregon and Southwest Washington—with the highest ideals of courage, confidence, and character. Our council serves 14,500 girls in 37 counties with the help of more than 8,000 volunteers. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Every opportunity in Girl Scouting develops these essential skills in an all-girl, inclusive, safe environment. For information, please visit girlscoutsosw.org.
As November Midterm Election Fast Approaches, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Offers Elections Tours for Girl Scouts throughout Region
G.I.R.L. Agenda Inspires, Prepares and Mobilizes Girls to Lead Positive Change through Civic Action
PORTLAND, OR. – October 30, 2018 – As the November midterm election fast approaches, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GSOSW) is offering a series of County Elections tours for Girl Scouts throughout the region. The tours are part of a larger initiative called G.I.R.L. Agenda, a nonpartisan initiative to inspire, prepare and mobilize girls to lead positive change through civic action.
“G.I.R.L. Agenda is a nonpartisan initiative that connects girls to their role as citizens and encourages them to become civically engaged today,” said Maureen Kenney, Public Relations and Advocacy Manager for GSOSW. “Through G.I.R.L. Agenda, we’re providing opportunities for girls to learn about the voting process, how to make their voices heard in local government and how to take meaningful action to improve their communities. We want girls to understand that they have the ability to make a difference.”
From November 5-6, 2018, local Girl Scouts can learn about how their County Elections and the voting process work through tours set up by GSOSW in partnership with County Elections offices.
Girl Scouts to Tour Elections Offices throughout Oregon
Oregon is a "vote-by-mail" state. Every registered voter can mail in or drop off their ballot instead of standing in line at a polling place. But then what? On the night before the November midterm election, Girl Scouts will get an up-close look at how ballots processing in their county works.
“Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington is thrilled to have so many girls interested in getting a close up look at how our democracy functions,” says Lisa Gilham-Luginbill, Program Manager for GSOSW. “Our hope is that, as we make it more accessible, girls will see themselves as participants and be inspired to create positive change in their own communities.”
Monday, November 5, 2018
Jackson County Elections Office
1101 W Main St. #201, Medford, OR 97501
4-5 p.m.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Multnomah County Elections Office
1040 SE Morrison St., Portland, OR 97214
5-6 p.m.
Benton County Elections Office
120 NW 4th St. #13, Corvallis, OR 97330
5-6 p.m.
Washington County Elections Office
3700 SW Murray Blvd. #101, Beaverton, OR 97005
5-6 p.m.
Klickitat County Elections Office
205 S Columbus Ave., Goldendale, WA 98620
5-6 p.m.
Deschutes County Elections Office
Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall Street, Suite 202, Bend, OR 97703
5:30-6:30 p.m.
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MEDIA--Interested journalists should contact:
Maureen A. Kenney, Public Relations and Advocacy Manager, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington
503-977-6817, Office
mkenney@girlscoutsosw.org
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Girl Scout Seniors (grades 9-10) can complete a step toward earning the “Behind the Ballot” badge and Girl Scout Juniors (grades 4-5) can complete a step toward earning the “Inside Government” badge. Girl Scouts can find information and links to register online: www.girlscoutsosw.org/electionstours2018.
PREVIOUS G.I.R.L. AGENDA ACTIVITIES
Girl Scout Leadership Day at Oregon’s State Capitol
To help mark the 106th birthday of Girl Scouts, Governor Kate Brown proclaimed March 12, 2018 to be Girl Scout Leadership Day. "Girl Scouts empower generations of girls and women, showing you are never too young to get involved, make a difference, and have your voice heard," Governor Brown said. Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington inducted Governor Kate Brown as an honorary lifetime member of Girl Scouts at a ceremony in the State Capitol on March 12, 2018. "It's my hope that as women take on leadership roles in their communities, in the Capitol, and in service organizations like Girl Scouts, that more girls grow up knowing that women can change the world."
The 2019 Girl Scout Leadership Day is set for March 12, 2019. The event is being co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson and Senator Kathleen Taylor and will feature guided tours, informational workshops and learning activities.
Members of Girl Scout Troop 10037 in the Salem area supported legislation that became Oregon House Bill (HB) 2732, signed into law on June 22, 2017. The law provides that a person who enters a motor vehicle to remove a child or domestic animal in imminent danger of suffering harm is not subject to criminal or civil liability.
G.I.R.L. Agenda—Girl Scouts’ Civic Engagement Program
In October, 2017, Girl Scouts of the USA launched G.I.R.L. Agenda, a nonpartisan initiative to inspire, prepare, and mobilize girls to lead positive change through civic action. To learn more, please visit: girlscouts.org/girlagenda.
Girl Scouts’ History of Civic Engagement
Since its founding in 1912, Girl Scouts has emphasized the importance of civic engagement, by teaching and encouraging girls to create positive change in their communities through advocacy and action. Girl Scouts learn to stand up for what they believe in, identify issues they care about, and develop leadership skills to make the world a better place. Girl Scouts has a century of success reflected in the realm of public service by the fact that 73 percent of female U.S. Senators and 100 percent of female U.S. Secretaries of State are Girl Scout alums.
About Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington
Girl Scouting inspires millions of girls and women—including more than 23,000 active members in Oregon and Southwest Washington—with the highest ideals of courage, confidence, and character. Our council serves 14,500 girls in 37 counties with the help of more than 8,000 volunteers. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Every opportunity in Girl Scouting develops these essential skills in an all-girl, inclusive, safe environment. For information, please visit girlscoutsosw.org.
PORTLAND, Ore. – October 23, 2018 – On November 1, 2018, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington will celebrate 20 years of their Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB) program. GSBB serves girls whose mothers or grandmothers are incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility located in Wilsonville, Oregon. The keynote address for the milestone occasion will be delivered by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum was instrumental in introducing the GSBB program—first established in Baltimore, Maryland in 1992—to Oregon in 1997.
“When we started GSBB in Oregon, we never could have imagined we would have served hundreds of Oregon girls for over 20 years! Giving these at-risk girls their own troop and a chance to bond with each other and with their incarcerated moms helps give them an opportunity to look to the future and improve their chances for a better life going forward,” says Rosenblum. “I look forward to celebrating the girls and their moms on November 1, and I hope you can join us to honor their accomplishments.”
Notable guests planning to attend include members of the Oregon state legislature, including House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, Representative Margaret Doherty (District 35) and Representative Andrea Salinas (District 38), as well as other community leaders and members from Oregon Women Lawyers. Community partners include the Oregon Department of Corrections, Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the Clackamas County Children of Incarcerated Parents Committee, the YWCA’s Family Preservation Project, Write Around Portland and The Circus Project.
ABOUT GSBB’s 20th ANNIVERSARY EVENT
The 20th anniversary of Girl Scouts Beyond Bars will be celebrated at an event from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018. The event will be held in the Cambia Atrium, located at 100 SW Market Street in Portland, OR.
Refreshments will be provided through the generosity of event sponsors, including: Cambia Health Solutions, Jane Drew and Michael R. Sahagian Attorney at Law.
Guests interested in attending must R.S.V.P. by October 30, 2018 at: http://bit.ly/GSBB20YEARS
Financial contributions to GSBB will be gratefully accepted at the event.
For more information regarding attendance and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Shannon Spencer at (503) 977-6843 or via email: sspencer@girlscoutsosw.org.
ABOUT GIRL SCOUTS BEYOND BARS (GSBB)
A primary part of GSBB’s mission to is to lessen the impact of parent-child separation. Children with a parent in prison are five times more likely to come in contact with the justice system themselves. They can have abandonment issues and be at risk for abuse, decreased school participation, and cycling into criminal behavior.
“Girl Scouts Beyond Bars leverages the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to change the narrative for girls whose families have been negatively impacted by incarceration,” says Amy Botula, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Manager for GSOSW. “Through Girl Scout opportunities like camp, cookie sales, and STEM activities and other leadership development, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars—like Girl Scouts as a whole—builds girls of courage, confidence, and character while also strengthening the bond between girls and their incarcerated mothers and grandmothers.”
Mothers and grandmothers serve as troop leaders, and benefit from the program as well. They develop positive decision-making and leadership skills alongside their girls, while also learning how to let the girls lead. With the support of GSBB staff, mothers and grandmothers co-facilitate troop meetings together with their Girl Scouts.
To learn more, please visit: http://www.girlscoutsosw.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-program/ways-to-participate/gsbb.html.
GSBB PARTICIPANT QUOTES
- “Through Girl Scouts I've been able to bond with my girls in a way I never thought possible.” — Jessica, Canby, Ore.
- “GSBB has brought me closer to my granddaughters. It gives us the opportunity to bond and gives the girls a place to grow and develop into creative young productive women.” — Lori, Salem, Ore.
- “Girl Scouts means everything to my children and me. We spend true quality time and I get the chance to participate in watching and guiding my girls with what Girl Scouts is all about. They enjoy the Girl Scout bond with the other girls and their mothers.” — Vanessa, Salem, Ore.
- “GSBB to me means unity and growth … learning things to be a better version of myself and having a community to lean on always.” — Shanoa, Aumsville, Ore.
SUPPORT GSBB
There are a variety of ways to support GSBB: through financial contributions, volunteer support and in-kind donations. To learn more, please visit: http://www.girlscoutsosw.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-program/ways-to-participate/gsbb.html.
CONTACT GSBB
For questions or more information about Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, please contact Amy Botula at (503) 977-6815 or via email: otula@girlscoutsosw.org">abotula@girlscoutsosw.org.
ABOUT GIRL SCOUTS OF OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON (GSOSW)
In partnership with more than 8,000 adult members, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington prepares 14,500 girls in grades K-12 for a lifetime of leadership, adventure and success. GSOSW’s programs in civic engagement, financial literacy, the outdoors and STEM serve girls in 37 counties in Oregon, and in Clark and Skamania counties in Washington. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. For more information, please visit girlscoutsosw.org.
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