Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Amanda Hanson of Montrose in the Southwestern Colorado region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community.
GSCO asked Amanda to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did.
Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer?
I joined Girl Scouts mainly to be able to attend events with my girls and help as needed. After being in our troop for about six months, I was asked to become a leader for Daisies. It worked perfectly because my youngest was a Daisy.
Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout.
I started out as a support volunteer. With our cookie money from last year, we took the troop on a camping trip to Mesa Verde. I coordinated all the meals, pre-made most of them, shopped for the food and served it while camping. Just before going on our camping trip, I was asked to become the Daisy leader. During this cookie season, I helped get our troop cookie cupboard set up. I also helped parents with booth sign-ups. I was a booth coordinator and helped make sure other booth coordinators had their supplies as well.
What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer?
I have learned that the girls really soak in what you teach them. I love seeing and hearing about girls working on service projects and doing things, such as picking up trash even without being prompted.
What do you hope girls have learned from you?
I love how the Girl Scout Law is a foundation for everything in life. I love how as a Daisy leader, I get to teach the Law and how it pertains to every aspect of who we are. Many kids and adults these days lack the basic life skills, such as being honest and fair, respecting authority, and being considerate and caring. My hope as a leader is that these girls will take a stand to be different than the standard “normal” and remember the Law no matter how long they participate in Girl Scouts.
How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)?
I am naturally an introverted person. I don’t like to step out of my comfort zone and was extremely hesitant about becoming a leader. Being a volunteer has pushed me to step up and help where I would normally shy away. It’s allowed me to show my girls and others that it is ok to do something new. I’ve learned to be confident in teaching other girls, give the girls tools and resources to learn new things, and help them build on existing skills and ideas.
Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org.