Wega-Fremont girls make donation to FFL

By Angie Landsverk

This is the badge members of Daisy Troop 2050 earned after putting together bags of personal hygiene items for Waupaca’s warming center. Angie Landsverk Photo

Members of Weyauwega-Fremont’s new Daisy troop learned how they may make the world a better place.

When Daisy Troop 2050 met on Dec. 5, it presented its donation of 50 bags filled with personal hygiene items to Robin Madson, executive director and co-founder of Foundations For Living.

The nonprofit organization operates a warming center in Waupaca, as well as other programs.

“We help people who are homeless or in danger of being homeless,” Madson told the girls.

Seven girls, ages 6 to 8, are members of the troop.

“This troop just started last January,” Troop Leader Ellen Marston said. “Next year, it will be a Brownie troop.”

The troop meets for an hour every other Monday at the Scout House, in Weyauwega.

Two weeks ago, the troop put the bags together.

The girls did the project as part of their work to earn the Make the World A Better Place Badge.

Marston came up with the idea to donate bags of hygiene items to the warming center, wanting the girls to realize what small part they may play in helping a community.

“We talked about the kinds of things you would need if you were stranded and didn’t have a bathroom,” she said.

Area businesses and individuals donated many of the items for the bags.

Dr. Denis Scharine, a Fremont dentist, donated the toothbrushes and toothpaste. Hotel Fremont donated bars of soap.

B & B Basement Repairs donated facial tissue, and someone donated small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion, collected from hotels.

Scout families donated candy and hot chocolate. The troop also donated seven hats to Foundations For Living.

Before the troop presented its donation to Madson, Marston reminded the girls why they did the project.

“The people don’t have a bathroom to put their stuff in,” Marston said of those who stay at the warming center.

Madson told the troop members to think about all the items they have in their bedrooms.

“Imagine all that stuff in a backpack, having to have everything you need in a backpack,” she said.

She told the girls there are children who have all their belongings in their backpacks and may sleep at the home of their grandparents one night and at a friend’s home another night.

Madson gave each of the girls information about the organization’s Clothes Closet, so their family members may donate clothing to it, and “you can continue to make the world a better place.”