For generations, Mother’s Day has been a celebration of not just one’s own mother, but of the influence our maternal figures have on society.
This year, members of one Bethlehem Girl Scout troop will be showing their appreciation for more than just their own mothers. Since January, members of Elsmere Brownie Troop 1308 have been collecting supplies to be donated to Community Maternity Services, an agency of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany.
“This is really their first effort of taking on a bigger service project, so it’s nice to see them entering into that next step of girl scouting,” said troop co-leader Mary Poust.
The girls selected the project as a way to earn a “Journey” badge as part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience program. The exercises and service projects associated with the program are meant to teach the girls about how they can change their world for the better.
“We’re hoping that the girls see they have the ability to make a difference even though they’re still young,” said Poust. “This project is something concrete. They can see their making a difference right here in their own community.”
Community Maternity Services is a community-based outreach group that focuses on social services and parenting education for adolescent mothers. The charity includes several residential programs, along with continuing education efforts and employment preparation programs.
At the beginning of the year, the troop placed playpens at several locations in Bethlehem and Albany to collect donations of new baby supplies. Enough items were collected to create 24 gift bags for mothers in the residential program at Community Maternity Services. The girls also made fleece baby blankets and beaded bracelets as more personal gifts for each mother.
“Most of these kids don’t have a lot of family support. We become a family to them,” said Ann Marie Couser, the communications director at Community Maternity Services. “So when they see people they don’t even know are doing something for them, it’s a thrill. They’re not used to special treatment.”
Couser said the supplies would be a big help to not only the mothers, but the charity itself. A large portion of the group’s budget goes to purchasing baby supplies like diapers, wipes and formula. Donation drives similar to the one done by the Brownies help to offset costs.
Some members of the troop said they voted for the Community Maternity Services project because they thought collecting the supplies and making blankets sounded more fun than the average food drive. Some also made a family connection.
“I liked this project because I have a cousin who is having a baby and she’s young,” said Bella Perrotto, 8. “It made me think she might not have enough money to care for her baby.”
Others said the project made them think of their own mothers and how happy they are to be remembered on Mother’s Day.
“I think they’re going to be happy and surprised,” said 7-year-old Erin Mash of the program’s mothers. “I hope we get to visit them so we can see their faces when they get their stuff.”
The troop was scheduled to visit Community Maternity Services and meet with several of the mothers and their babies on Monday, May 6.
“We want (this experience) to stick with them to know they have the ability to make changes for the better as they grow,” said Poust.
To learn more about how to donate to Community Maternity Services, visit www.cccms.org.