Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Denise Krohn of Littleton in the Metro Denver region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community.
GSCO asked Denise 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?
When my older daughter’s troop leader couldn’t continue, I decided to take over that role. It was important to me that the girls were given the opportunity to continue to learn and have fun together.
Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout.
Over my more than 20 years as a Girl Scout, there have been many roles. I was the troop leader for both my daughters’ troops and school coordinator at their elementary school. For product programs I’ve been troop fall product program manager, service unit fall product program manager, troop cookie manager, service unit cookie manager, area cookie manager, cookie cupboard manager, site delivery manager, and cookie committee member. As I gained experience and knowledge, I took on the next level of responsibility.
What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer?
Many changes have come to Girl Scouts during my volunteer years and thus, new skills: using email for communications, having eBudde for tracking cookie sales instead of recording everything on paper, social media, etc. Some I’ve mastered, but others I’m still learning. I’ve gained self-confidence and public speaking skills from training troop cookie managers. Mostly, I’ve learned that there is always more to learn.
What do you hope girls have learned from you?
I hope girls learn to persevere! Never give up – no matter the difficulties. Set goals and work hard to achieve them. And, remember that you will learn more from your mistakes and hardships then when everything is smooth-sailing.
How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)?
Since I’ve experienced so many volunteer positions, I feel I have a unique perspective of Girl Scouts and especially the product programs. By listening to others, it’s easier to lead others with best practices. I’ve learned to speak up with suggestions when I recognize something that could be improved. At the Waterstone delivery site the last two years, we’ve tried a couple new procedures to speed-up the pickup process for troops. And, we’ve asked troops to step-up with volunteers to make the day better for everyone, lessening everyone’s workload and stress level. It is important to me to evaluate and adapt quickly to changing policies and procedures, and to communicate information effectively to other volunteers, caregivers, and girls.
Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org.
The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more.