Girl Scout Troop leader Natalie King was introduced to Safe Alliance through a volunteer service project with her company Covia. She volunteered to serve in the kitchen at our shelter and recognized there was space available on the playground for new equipment."As the girls have gotten older, we wanted to do a hands-on community service project," said Natalie. The troop voted on their favorite playhouse design and utilized the proceeds from their cookie sales to buy supplies for the playhouse. "The girls like the versatility of this design. They shared that it could be a house, a grocery store, a garden center, or a vet. It was important to them to let the kids that they were gifting it to imagine it how they wanted to," said Natalie.
The troop spent a full day putting the playhouse together. They used hammers and drills. Troop leaders worked with them on a budget for accessories and toys. The girls went shopping and picked out the items for the house, they hung the flower baskets. Natalie shared that it was good exposure to work with tools and for some of the girls, it was the first time they had done something with tools.
The girls were thoughtful and picked out many special elements for the playhouse. Many girls are artistic and decorated the blackboard. Other girls shopped for kitchen utensils as they envisioned it as a restaurant. Many in the troop are animal lovers and included elements to transform the playhouse into a vet.
"I hope that the kids will enjoy it, have fun and know that they're safe," said Girl Scout Adelaide."At this age it is difficult to explain the important work that Safe Alliance does. You don't want to upset or scare the girls. We explained that Safe Alliance is there for people who need a safe place to go. If a family needs to be away from someone, they can go to the shelter. This playhouse can give them safety and security. This could bring joy in a time that isn't so joyful," said Natalie. "This project brought the meaning of Safe Alliance to life in a way they could understand."
"We are so appreciative of this gift from the Girl Scouts. We want kids to create, be expressive and learn through engaging with others. I love how the playhouse includes plants and encourages creativity," said Idamae, Children's Program Manager at the Clyde & Ethel Dickson Domestic Violence Shelter.
Thank you troop leaders: Caryann Bruce, Audrey Pieper, and Natalie King and Troop 2513 for gifting our shelter this very special playhouse!
