CRANFORD, NJ — The Girl Scouts of Cranford Service Unit 48 honored four troops for earning the Bronze Award, the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can achieve. The awards were earned while the troops were in fourth and fifth grade, but the recognition ceremony was delayed to accommodate COVID-19 safety protocols.
“The Bronze Award allows Girl Scout Juniors to team up and make a difference in their communities. Through collaboration, they learn new skills, explore passions and see how small actions can make a big difference,” said Elayna Torsone, manager of Service Unit 48. “After a delay due to COVID, we were so happy to be able to recognize their achievements in person.”
Troop 40098 created an Ambassador Program at Saint Michael School in Cranford. Designed to help new students feel welcome and comfortable, the program included a buddy component, as well as FaceTime meetings when students were not able to meet in person due to safety concerns.
Troop 40688 focused on boosting the pollinator population in Cranford. The troop members researched plants and pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, raised funds through bake sales and planted 20 pollinator-friendly plants in the community garden at Walnut Avenue Elementary School in Cranford.
Troop 40744 created birthday-themed boxes for children in need. The boxes included everything required for a special celebration and were distributed through a partnership with Isaiah House, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent homelessness, hunger and unemployment in the Oranges and Newark.
Troop 40772 collaborated on a project to reduce single-use plastics and educated the public on how to recycle items such as plastic films and wrappers. Working with Trex Recycling, they established eight locations in Cranford to collect plastic films, such as dry-cleaning bags, shrink-wrap and other thin, plastic packaging. During the campaign, it collected a whopping 2,896 pounds of these lightweight materials.
The Bronze Award recipients, who were recognized for their achievements at a special ceremony at the Cranford United Methodist Church, are Abigail Behnke, Callie Blanton, Sophie Botsakos, Madeleine Brennan, Sarah Burnett, Annabelle Burns, Addison Deal, Kerrington Esteves, Mia Ferrara, Peyton Geis, Riley Greco, Clare Harrington, Margaret Harris, Alexis Jankowski, Melody Jennings, Riley McKeon, Emily O’Neill, Sara Phillips, Sadie Pizzella, Elliza Scardino, Leila Schuster, Ella Seeto, Clare Shuler, Addison Stroh, Caroline Tierney, Kaylee Werthmann, Megan Wukovitz and Adelaide Yurcisin.
The troop leaders were also honored: Heather Burnett and Jeanine Stroh of Troop 40098; Erin Esteves and Stephanie Patterson of Troop 40688; Jen Geis, Kristin Ferrara and Denise Alvarez of Troop 40744; and Andrea Yurcisin and Tracee Blanton of Troop 40772.
The Girl Scouts of Cranford boasts more than 1,139 Girl Scout members in 71 troops and Juliettes, making it one of the largest nonprofit organizations in town. The Cranford Service Unit is a part of the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Council, which is part of the Girl Scouts of the USA. To find out more information on the Girls Scouts of Cranford, visit www.cranfordgirlscouts.com.
Photos Courtesy of Kerry Rokicki