Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Charlene Irizzary

Charlene Irizzary has been a Girl Scout volunteer in the Albertville area since 2010, when her daughter was able to join. Originally from Puerto Rico, Charlene participated in Girl Scouts from Brownie level to Senior level. She remembers traveling to Space Camp in Florida, and to camp several times. Her experience as a child made her want to pay it forward, so she volunteered.

Her troop has participated in several activities, including visiting recycling centers, donating their time at a food pantry, participating in fashion shows, camps, sleepovers, field trips and, of course, the Girl Scout Cookie Program! Her troop was even featured in the local newspaper when they introduced the new 100th Anniversary Savannah Smiles cookie to the market. That year, Troop 50’s goal was to donate part of their earnings from the cookie sale to children suffering from cancer.

Charlene says, “What makes my troop special is first of all, the girls are full of joy, enthusiasm and they love Girl Scouts. Most of my girls started this journey with me and they are still strong.”

The second component is the support and interaction between Charlene and her co-leader Sally Mullinax. Charlene says, “We are both what I call ‘hard-core Girl Scouts.’ We love Girl Scouts and are totally invested in our girls!”

Pictured from left to right: Sally Mullinax, co-leader, Troop 50; Girl Scout Aolanys, Charlene's daughter; Charlene Irizarry, troop leader, Troop 50.

Girl Scout Troop 20 Earns Bronze Award

Girl Scout Troop 20 members Leighton, Maggie, Macy, Annie and Madeline, students at Athens Bible School, Lauren and Ann Marie, home school students, and Isabella, student at Athens Intermediate School, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Mama Relaxation Project. The girls learned to be kind and patient as they babysat younger children for several hours. The girls wanted to give their parents time to re-charge, so they enjoyed giving their parents a break.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

Troop 531 Earns Bronze Award with Loving Library Project

Girl Scout Troop 531 members Heather, Olivia, Angie, Mya, Olivia, Shelby, Hannah and Katherine, sixth graders at Brock’s Gap Intermediate School, and Juliana, sixth grader at Prince of Peace, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Loving Library. The girls gathered donated books from Hoover area schools to place on a shelf for the patients at Children’s Hospital. Their project taught the girls public speaking skills as they traveled to the different schools asking for help with the project, and they also learned the importance of helping others.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

Alabama Senate Recognizes Girl Scout Advocacy Day at the State Capitol

On Wednesday, September 11, 2013, State Senator Cam Ward presented Trish Coghlan, CEO of Girls Scouts of North-Central Alabama (GSNCA), a resolution from the Alabama Senate that commends the ongoing commitment Girl Scouting has made to support the continued advancement of girls in their roles as leaders. The presentation took place at GSNCA’s Kanawahala Program Center in Chelsea, Ala.

“Since 1917, our bold mission continues to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place,” said Coghlan. “Through our many years of work with hundreds of thousands of girls living in our 36-county service area, we’ve seen there is greatness in each of them that's hard to suppress. By providing today’s girls with a supportive environment, it will unequivocally help many become tomorrow's role models, leaders and captains of industry, while reaching their fullest potential in all aspects of society.”

Earlier this year on April 11, 2013, the annual Girl Scout Advocacy Day was held at the state capitol to announce the organization’s legislative agenda as the following: promoting leadership and educational opportunities to girls, such as financial literacy, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) (STEM), healthy living and supporting the work of the nonprofit sector at-large. 

Girls, parents and troop leaders enjoyed a day of shadowing female legislators from their communities to gain a better understanding of the process and to inspire them to aim high in whatever they choose to do in life.

Troop 30981 Earns Bronze Award with Warm and Fuzzy for Jessie's Place Project

Brooklyn, Camden, Caraline, Caroline, Elise, Isabella, Machaela and Summer, students at Paine Intermediate School and members of Girl Scout Troop 30981, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Warm and Fuzzy for Jessie’s Place. The girls hosted an event where they taught Girl Scouts of all ages from other troops how to make hats and scarves. They also took up purchased hats, scarves, gloves and socks from attendees, which they donated to Jessie’s Place. 

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.