Girl Scout Juniors Ella and Grace of Troop 1993 earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award by helping military families get ready to go back to school without the need to purchase all-new clothing for their children. Ella and Grace organized a drive where families could donate gently-used clothing and come back for larger sizes or new-to-them items. The pair promoted their project within the community and took collections of clothing for swaps and donations. Families dropped off gently-used clothes, shoes, coats, backpacks, and lunch boxes throughout the summer.
Once the collections were made, the girls sorted them by item and size. The Girl Scouts then set their collection up at Fort Story Base Chapel, and invited military families to come and take what they needed to help their students have what they needed to start the schools year. After a successful community drive, the leftover items were donated to the Navy Marine Corp Relief Society Thrift Store in Virginia Beach.
