Shrewsbury Girl Scouts support Sherry’s House, earn Bronze Award

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Members of Troop 30304 present a book and butterfly bush to Why Me & Sherry’s House. (Photo/submitted)
Members of Troop 30304 present a book and butterfly bush to Why Me & Sherry’s House. (Photo/submitted)

Shrewsbury – Junior Girl Scout Troop 30304 of Shrewsbury traveled to Why Me & Sherry’s House in Worcester May 10 to donate Girl Scout cookies and a special book and plant a butterfly bush. The gifts, meant to lift the spirits of the children who use the facility, also served as the final step to earning the Girl Scout Bronze Award. The award is the third highest in Girl Scouts and can only be earned at the Junior level.

The girl’s interest in helping Why Me & Sherry’s House began when they found out that troop member Mary-Katherine Lamontange had a cousin who stayed there while under going cancer treatment. Happily, Kailiah has been in remission for a few years, but the girls wanted to know more about the organization.

“When the girls learned all the great things that the Sherry House does for children fighting cancer, they wanted to help,” said Janine Wright, one of the three troop leaders.

For the past two years, the girls began accepting donations of cookies for Why Me & Sherry’s House during the Girl Scout cookie sale season. In that time the girls were able to donate dozens of cookies. Late last year, the girls also ran a food drive to collect specific items on the charity’s critical needs food list. The girls collected hundreds of boxes of mac and cheese and canned fruit from the list.

“We set a goal that each of us would collect 10 things. We got lots more because we got family and friends and a couple of other troops to help us out,” said Mary-Katherine.

The girls were happy with their food and cookie drives, but they wanted to do more. They decided on a butterfly bush.

“A lot of kids think butterflies are beautiful and usually beautiful things make them happy,” said Rachel Harvie.

“It will bring the kids happiness and a place to be at peace with nature while lifting their spirits,” said Natalia Vasquez.

The girls also decided to donate the book, “A Place for Butterflies” by Melissa Steward, for the kids to enjoy, especially the ones that are too sick to go outside.

Troop 30304 will receive their Bronze awards when they bridge (or graduate) from Juniors to Cadets Wednesday, June 8. The girls feel so strongly about supporting the children of Why Me & Sherry’s House, they plan to continue to support them throughout their Girl Scout years and beyond.

The girls of Troop 30304 are Madison Abasciano, Anjali Amin, Emily Ducharme, Rachel Harvie, Mary-Katherine Lamontange, Alicia Mackson, Lucy Millar, Aanya Sachdeva, Emma Sterns, Samantha Thomas, Natalia Vasquez and Sabrina Williams. The troop leaders are Janine Wright, Maribel Vasquez and AnnMarie Harvie.

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