Today was an important day for my Girl Scouts. The Feed Your Neighbor Project encourages troops to collect at local Vons Markets for the LA Food Bank. And my scouts got up early on a Saturday to stand in front of a market in the cold and light rain to help others. Others that they didn't know, but knew existed. My scouts from suburbia, growing up middle and upper middle class, not wanting for much and having more than there basic needs met. My scouts are respected by their parents and their parents respect them. My scouts trust that others need their help and are beautiful little people to help people they have never met. And at 8 to 10 years old I am so proud of them - and not just for collecting food.
My girls approached customers of Vons in Tarzana, and asked them to purchase a non-perishable food item - a can, a bag of rice, a jar of peanut butter and on the way out of the store drop it in our box of collections. We did great! Most people were humane and helpful. I was totally shocked, surprised...actually disgusted at the people that walked around my scouts and ignored them. Whose life is so busy, so important, that you don't have time to stop for a child? A child trying to change his or her world. A child trying to make a difference.
Again, I was so proud of my scouts... for not giving up when these rude people ignored them. For going on with their mission even when adults were less mature and charitable than children.
Here's to your scouts!! (and you)!
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