Local Scouts Collect 28,465lbs. of Donations for Goodwill

FORT MYERS, Fla. - June 10, 2014 - PRLog -- Boy and Girl Scouts across Lee County collected 28,465 lbs. of donations that will go to helping their communities. In the process, the troops also earned the Scouting for Good patch from Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida.

Throughout the month of May, 15 Girl Scout Troops and 7 Boy Scout Troops, Packs, and Dens collected donations for Goodwill. The donations will be sold in the organization’s 30 Retail & Donation Centers with the revenue generated supporting Goodwill’s programs and services.

“I am so proud of our Girl Scouts, from littlest Daisy girls to our High School Ambassadors, when they come together to help others,” says Connie Martin, Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida’s membership and community development specialist. “It's wonderfully powerful when the girls were able to clearly speak about the mission of Goodwill and why they were working so hard to give to others.”

After learning about Goodwill’s mission of helping people with disabilities and disadvantages the troops decided to add some friendly competition to the donation drive and did Girl Scouts versus Boy Scouts. Each troop came up with their own way of collecting donations; going to their neighbors, holding mini-drives, or cleaning out their own houses. In the end, the girls won with 19,860 lbs. of donations collected. The Boy Scouts finished with 8,605 lbs. collected.

“First and foremost it brings home the reason of service to others and good citizenship.  Not only are the lives of the community improved, so is theirs,” says Boy Scout District Director of Lee and Hendry Counties, Ron Barbour. “Partnerships with Goodwill and other agencies reinforces those points of the Scout Law; Helpful, Kind, and Thrifty in a real way.”

The Boy and Girl Scout Troop with the most donations collected (averaged per child) will win a pizza party. Every Scout that participated will receive the Scouting for Good patch.

“Their contribution will directly impact Goodwill’s mission,” says Goodwill spokesperson Madison Mitchell. “Their hard work will provide real opportunities to people across Southwest Florida.”

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida is committed to serving people with disabilities and disadvantages by providing life-changing opportunities to achieve independence.  Revenue generated by Goodwill’s 30 Southwest Florida Retail & Donation Centers is used to support these programs. For more information about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, visit the agency’s website at http://www.goodwillswfl.org.

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