Service Projects
Family Promise of Morris County
https://www.familypromisemorris.org/volunteer
Volunteer:
Hold a donation drive for our wish list items
Specialty programs - Spring baskets, Back-to-School backpacks, and the Holiday Gift Fair
Help us plan a special event for families or individuals in our programs (e.g., birthday parties, movie time)
Help prepare motel rooms with welcoming touches for families in our Shelter Program
Support our Making Moves Matter More team in preparing guests' new homes for move-in day
Serve a meal at Our Promise Drop-In Resource Center
Complete a Done-In-A-Day service project (e.g., gardening, organizing donations)
Contact Nora Godown, community engagement coordinator ngodown@familypromise.org
Chatham United Methodist Church (CUMC) Food Pantry Volunteer Opportunities -
To learn more - http://www.chathamumc.com/cumc-community-food-pantry/.
Sustainable lunched bags - simply decorate a brown lunch bag and fill it with items such as a small bottle or water, a granola or protein bar, a bag of snacks (goldfish, pretzels etc.) and a ready to eat tuna packet. Please deliver the bagged lunches to CUMC by Wed at 12pm and our volunteers will ensure that they are distributed to those in need.
Thanksgiving in a box- We can provide you with a “Thanksgiving in a Box Bingo Card” detailing the items needed to fill a Thanksgiving box. A completed box will contain all items. Completed boxes can be dropped off at CUMC on Saturday November 11, 2023. 10-12pm.
Sock Bags - During December and January the CUMC Food Distribution Line distributes bags containing socks and travel sized toiletries. If you would like to donate please reach out to us.
Food/Personal Hygiene/Diaper Drives - Food, personal hygiene products and diapers are in constant demand year-round. Your contributions to these drives are greatly appreciated.
Homeless Solutions
Girl Scouts can help provide real service in their community through volunteering at Homeless Solutions located at 540 West Hanover Ave. in Morristown. Are you looking for a service project? Leadership hours? Maybe just a great experience for your girls? Learn more about Homeless Solutions. To discuss what opportunities are available for your girls for the coming year, contact Tamala Renolds, volunteer coordinator at HSI, at 973-993-0833.
Great Earth Day ideas
Chatham Township Environmental Commission (CTEC)-
Checkout programs and events for Girl Scouts to participate in https://chathamtownship-nj.gov/environmental
Chatham BOROUGH Environmental Commission -
Checkout programs and events for Girl Scouts to participate in https://chathamborough.org/boards/environmental
Operation Quiet Comfort
If you or your girls want to support our troops, like to sew, or want to learn, make cards etc consider Operation Quiet Comfort https://www.operationquietcomfort.org.
bridgesoutreach
For ALL levels consider a meeting packing sustainable lunches https://bridgesoutreach.org/lunches/ or hygiene kits https://bridgesoutreach.org/hygiene-kits-cold-weather-packs/
For OLDER levels consider Soup making or outreach runs. Outreach Runs are held every week and are a great way for teens and adults to fully experience our mission by interacting directly with Bridges’ beneficiaries. On a Run, volunteers engage in conversation, serve hot soup, hand out brown bag lunches, and distribute various kits and clothing.
120 Morris Avenue
Summit, NJ 07901
908.456.8928
Shoes for Shoes
Mane Stream is a therapeutic riding center for children and adults. As a non-profit organization, they are always looking for creative ways to raise funds for their program and give back to the community.
"Shoes for Shoes" is a program “Mane Stream partners with Funds2orgs.com to keep shoes out of landfills, provide affordable footwear to people in developing nations and raise much needed funds for our farrier costs for the Mane Stream herd. We place 25 pairs of shoes into clear plastic bags provided by Funds2orgs.com. When we have 100 bags we call for a pickup and then a check for $1000 is sent to Mane Stream!”
If you think this is something that your troop might be interested in check out their website https://www.manestreamnj.org/volunteeropportunities or call Jeanne Rogalin 973-229-9805 or email volunteer@manestreamnj.org to learn more.
The Lyons Hospital for Vets
Grateful for all donations. Our Veterans appreciate:
Personal care items
New clothing, socks, and underwear
Books, puzzles, games, and art supplies
Lap robes and blankets
Kitchen supplies
Cleaning supplies
Feminine hygiene products
Please contact the Center for Development and Civic Engagement Office, Lyons campus, to get specifics and to schedule drop-offs. Please also contact this number if you are interested in other activities to assist the Vets.
151 Knollcroft Road
Building 2, 2nd Floor
Lyons, New Jersey 07939
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 908-604-5814
Let’s Play it Forward
If you would like to do a project regarding collecting and donating sports equipment, one place to contact is Let’s Play it Forward. They collect new/gently used equipment and give it to those who cannot buy it themselves, and they are always looking for more donations. This was originally done as a Silver Award project.
For more information: http://www.letsplayitforward.org/
Community FoodBank of New Jersey/Kids' Division in Hillside
Hold a food drive, used coat drive, school supply drive, children's clothing drive, or used bicycle drive to benefit the Kids' Division. For their web site click https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/YOUTH-OUTREACH-PROGRAMS-GUIDEBOOK-2023.pdf
Jersey Cares
Seasonal Collection Drive opportunities
For more information on the organization, https://www.jerseycares.org/Collection_Drives
Ronald McDonald House
Collect “pop pull tabs”. Ronald McDonald Houses can recycle the aluminum. 3 of the 4 RMH in NJ participate in the PopTab program: Camden, Long Branch & New Brunswick. For more detail, see their ways to help.
Morris habitat for humanity
Primarily Older Girl Opportunity - https://www.morrishabitat.org/volunteer/groups
Nourish new jersey
nourishNJ.org has many ways for your troop to get involved in supporting their guests remotely. They have off-site volunteer projects that are a fun and meaningful way to help your neighbors in need. Historically Chatham Girl Scout troops have participated in the Rise and Shine breakfast kits. Other opportunities include toiletry collections and meal preparation. Learn more at https://nourishnj.org/how-to-help-2022/volunteer/offsite-volunteering.html
For The Chathams, consider these ideas for our GS Service Unit
Run a mixer for 6th grade Girl Scouts entering middle school, or have your girls do it.
Learn some GS songs and teach them to a younger GS Troops. Click here to listen to the new Girl Scout Daisy song.
Be a parade coordinator - or organize making a Chatham Girl Scout float for the annual 4th of July parade! Contact chathamnjgirlscouts@gmail.com
Volunteer your troop to run a community encampment, contact chathamnjgirlscouts@gmail.com.
Juniper Village, assisted living facility 500 southern blvd, loves having troops stop in to visit! And loves COOKIES! Plan an afterschool Bingo! Contact first 973- 966-5483
Garden Terrace, nursing home 361 Main Street, loves having holiday musicians and carolers! Contact first 973-635-0899
Senior Center of the Chathams, 58 Meyersville Road, loves having decorations made for the holidays or other special events! Contact first 973-635-4565 - Monday - Friday: 9:15 AM - 3:00 PM
King James Care Center, 415 Southern blvd, enjoyed the bird feeders we made them for outside their windows. Think of another way to brighten a seniors day! Holiday centerpieces for their dining table??? Contact first 973-822-1500.
For Council
Media Girls https://www.gsnnj.org/en/discover/our-council/media-girls.html
GSNNJ Girl Scouts who exemplify courage, confidence, and character are invited to join our Media Girls Team. Open to Girl Scout Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors, these leaders will be the official girl faces and voices of our council. Media Girls receive special media training to be able to report on council and community events and share our stories with the Girl Scout community and the world. Questions? Contact us at marketing@gsnnj.org. for applications and deadlines
Media Girls are called upon to:
Interview with the media and attend press events.
Volunteer at Girl Scout booths at public events.
Participate in focus groups.
Write articles and shoot photos/videos.
Camp Cleanup opportunities - Keep our Camps Looking Good - for dates at Jockey Hollow, Lake Rickabear, and our camps in Glen Spey check the GSNNJ website. For information about our council campsites, see https://www.gsnnj.org/en/discover/property-rentals.html
Service Project How To
For the youngest: Many of these can be done in your meeting place:
Participate in any collection drives the other scouts in school are doing.
Send pictures or “Flat Stanley” folk to the troops/service people.
Make pictures to be distributed by Color a Smile.
Make placemats, napkin rings, centerpieces etc. for a nursing home or care facility or go sing there or adopt-a-grandparent.
Plant something outside your school, in a park or at a nursing home.
Collect litter.
How can my troop help?
Have the girls discuss what is needed in the community (or what they think may be needed) and how/where they want to help. By the end of Juniors when they are working on their Bronze Award, they should be calling organizations to ensure that they are filling a real need.
They may want to do a collection (for eyeglasses to donate to the Owls or an eyeglass center), clothes (although that can take up a bit of space), food, pet supplies, etc. You can collect from your own troop, organize a school-wide drive, or incorporate a drive with any event you have. For example, “Come roller skating and bring a can of food”.
How do we organize a school-wide drive?
Come up with the idea.
Have the Girl Scouts create a draft Info Flyer (or brainstorm with you about what should be on the flyer, even the youngest can be led to realize that dates, place and what/why to collect should be on a flyer),
Have the Girl Scouts approach the principal with their draft info flyer and some idea of the dates you are interested in.
See if the school will send the Info Flyer electronically to get the word out, or post a flyer on the school's bulletin board, or request permission to post it in the school newsletter.
The principal should let you know if district approval is needed.
Where can we donate food?
Just to name a few; Interfaith Food Pantry, Community Food Bank of New Jersey or Chatham United Methodist Church food pantry.
What more can we do?
Make favors or placemats for nursing home trays, not just for the big holidays.
Teach GS songs to another troop. Invite them to earn a “Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout” Daisy Petal or any level of the Girl Scout Ways badges with you. Work up to running a badge workshop.
Organize troops in your school for a Court of Awards, bridging ceremony, or song fest.
Encourage your girls' interests to find ways to serve a community - inside and out of Girl Scouts.