Supporting Girl Scouting

Financial support helps Buckeye Trails stay on the cutting edge in providing programs that help build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

gIRL sCOUTS OF THE uSA (GSUSA) AND PARTNERS

Girl Scouts of the USA has actively pursued and received funding for programs to benefit girls in Councils. Girl Scouts of Buckeye Trails Council has a strong partnership with GSUSA and has received several program grants through the national organization totaling over $170,000 to benefit girls here in the Miami Valley.

The Circle of Life program, funded by the Department of Justice, is for young women who have already come into contact with the criminal juvenile justice system through truancy, substance abuse, and/or violent behavior. Some girls are awaiting trial or disposition of their charges, some have received sentences involving incarceration, and some are on probation. The majority are from low income or poverty-level economic backgrounds and dysfunctional family environments. The program is in its fifth year and receives additional funding from Lexis Nexis, The Levin Family Foundation, and Reynolds & Reynolds
Employee Foundation.

Take Charge of Your Life, funded by GSUSA through a Project Anti-Violence Education grant, is a program for middle school girls based on the Girl Scout publication “Take Charge.” The girls that participate in the program learn to think, respond and act appropriately when confronted with situations that threaten their personal and emotional safety. They are taught safe internet practices, self defense skills, and how to deal with harassment.

Collage of Colleges, funded by MetLife, is more than just a visit to a college campus—it’s a full preparatory experience. The program is designed to act as a catalyst to prepare girls for a brighter future—beginning with recognizing the importance of getting a college education. Throughout their participation in the program, girls are not only educated about their choices after high school, but empowered to act on them.

Live it Up, funded by t he Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is a program designed to address the healthy living choices girls face today. Findings of a recent GSUSA Study indicate that the percentage of overweight girls has more than doubled over the last 25 years. Girl Scouts of Buckeye Trails Council is very aware of this growing epidemic, and strives to make health and fitness a part of every program.

Take the Wheel, funded by the Department of Transportation and Bridgestone/Firestone, Designed to inspire and empower girls, Take the Wheel uses educational day trips, hands-on learning, and direct interaction with women in the automotive engineering and retail industries.

GIRL SCOUTS AND RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE: A STRONG PARTNERSHIP

Girl Scouts of Buckeye Trails Council (GSBTC) has been awarded a $25,000 grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Miami Valley Region in support of their first-ever regional capital campaign “Make New Friends, but Keep the Old” to help create a 21 st “urban campus” including a 25,000 square foot LEEDS (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified program center complete with roof-top camping, an indoor climbing wall and a cyber café.

In recognition of this gift, a new stone Ceremonial Bridge on the wooded acreage will be named for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Miami Valley Region. “Bridging ceremonies mark a girl’s move from one age-level of Girl Scouting to another. It is a defining moment when a girl celebrates her achievements and is ready to tackle new adventures and responsibilities,” states Ann Granger, CEO of GSBTC. “This generous gift will help create a permanent and special environment for the girls and their families to appreciate.”

“We are proud to be partners with the Girl Scouts” says Rita Cyr, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House, “and appreciate the longstanding relationship connecting their girls to our families. Yearly many troops choose to designate their “Gift of Caring” (a way for the public to donate cookies to charitable organizations) to us; Girl Scouts carry out community service projects to benefit the children and families of Ronald McDonald House, and several employees, volunteers and troops regularly participate in their pull tab program – a recycling effort that helps pay our operating costs.” This year, 24 Girl Scout troops donated 850 boxes of cookies to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Miami Valley Region.

The establishment of Ronald McDonald House Charities Community Grant Program in memory of McDonald’s founder Ray A. Kroc confirms the McDonald’s commitment to “lift kids to a better tomorrow.” RMHC is dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families by operating the Ronald McDonald House and making grants to other not-for-profit organizations throughout the greater Miami Valley Region. Ronald McDonald House Charities has been providing a “home-away-from-home” for more than 25 years has awarded nearly 1.5 million to other children’s organizations throughout the Miami Valley Region.

Pictured on the new bridge: representing Ronald McDonald House are: (from left to right):  Anne Larkins and Pete Harsh, board members of Ronald McDonald House Charities; Rita Cyr, ED of Ronald McDonald House Charities; and John Hayes, Chair of the Grants Committee for Ronald McDonald House Charities with members of the GSBTC By Girls, for Girls Committee.

IAMS CONTINUES OUTSTANDING SUPPORT

The Iams Company has been supporting Girl Scouts of Buckeye Trails Council for over 24 years. This year they continued their commitment to the organization with a $7,500 grant in support of In School Scouting violence prevention programming.

This brings their total contributions to the In School Scouting program to over $90,000 over the past 10 years. Without their generosity we would not have been able to grow the program into its current breadth and depth of serving more than 7,200 girls and boys in 45 schools in 5 counties of the Miami Valley.

In addition, they have provided funding for Pet First Aid programs and a generous gift of $100,000 to our Capital Campaign. The Iams Company has demonstrated a commitment to helping girls grow strong. Our sincere thanks to Iams for helping us extend the benefits of Girl Scouting to more girls each year!

About The Iams Company

For nearly 60 years, The Iams Company, a division of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), has enhanced the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet-care products.

To learn more about Eukanuba® and Iams® Dog & Cat Foods and the Eukanuba Veterinary Diets® line of canine and feline therapeutic diets or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams Consumer Care Center at (800) 863-4267. You also can visit us on the Web at http://www.iams.com or http://www.eukanuba.com.