Raven was considering what they might want to do for their Silver Award project, looking out the car window, when they became distressed at what they saw. They wanted to know why little children were standing on the median all day with their parents, so they learned more about it from the news. “It hurts me when I see adults and little children standing on the sidewalk or a median on the street. They have been through so much, being scared and walking for weeks to get to safety. They left everything behind, except for one thing: hope and bravery,” said Raven. To find out more about the issue they met with three different non-profit organizations and asked how they help. They learned “the government won’t give them anything because they are from a different place. They can’t have a job without an ID.” One of the organizations, Alleviate, was just recently established, and the Executive Director told Raven she would be very happy to get help from a Girl Scout.
Raven got to work. They:
Conducted meetings with 11 more non-profits
Asked non-profit staff how they help the community
Helped Alleviate launch an internship program that will help students learn more about how a non-profit is run
Personally delivered donations to nine families to experience what the intern will do
Met several times with the Alleviate’s donation coordinator and executive director
Spent hours sorting through donations in their living room
Learned to communicate with families using Google Translate
Got permission to take photos • took classes on using their iPad to make a video
Received assistance with note-taking, then read aloud notes taken for them at all the meetings and deliveries to create audio instructions for a total of 31 tasks that any intern or volunteer for Alleviate can do
Created an internship flyer describing the ideal candidate and what the intern will learn and do
Secured donations of 1,550 pairs of socks as well as cases of hygiene products for unhoused people in Denver
Forged new lasting relationships between Alleviate and the organizations donating the items.
“Even though I can't help ALL of them, I can still say ‘You are brave, and you will be loved by me and everyone else who wants to help you.’” Many newcomers to Denver will have some of their hardships alleviated because of the amplified ability of one non-profit that was given a resource that will last for years to come.