Every month, we feature a United Way Partner Agency’s client experience, demonstrating the impact that donations to United Way of Sheboygan County are making. This month’s client experience was submitted directly by Denise Schemenauer, Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Manitou Council, as part of their annual application for Leadership Experience program funding.

“Girl Scout Meg Biznek was brought to tears reading a note from a woman who was staying in the room her troop redecorated at Safe Harbor. The woman, a domestic violence survivor, said, ‘walking into the room gave a sense of peace to my soul. You girls showed me that life is beautiful even in the hard and sad times.’ 

“Meg said, ‘It made our hearts full to know that our desire to give a women a safe haven in the midst of chaos actually is happening and the project has come full circle for us.’

“Meg's troop leader commented that, ‘Our young Girl Scouts truly learned from their visits to Safe Harbor. We are grateful that the Safe Harbor team sat with the troop, taught Safe Harbor's mission, explained the importance of respect and dignity of these families, and elaborated on the flexibility needed on both ends to complete the project. Actually being in the residence, we struck conversations with those who approached us, and the Scouts got to see first-hand the faces and hearts of a few of the survivors.’

“This project was a true collaboration between the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and Safe Harbor and demonstrates the power of one of the outcomes of the program – that Girl Scouts give service to those in need.”

Meg’s mother, Amy Biznek, added that, “Meg has recently decided she wants to complete her Gold Award project, the highest award in Girl Scouting, with Safe Harbor by not only adopting another room, but hopefully taking it a step further by coordinating a drive for additional items.  Meg plans to meet later this week with Amy Odekirk, director of program quality, to discuss it.

“It was truly a great experience for these young women and to see up close the need and the appreciation of Safe Harbor’s residents. It was something special.”

Girls 5-7 years old are now joining Girl Scout troops all over Sheboygan County.  Look for the flyer that your daughter will bring home the first week of school, log on to www.gsmanitou.org or call (920) 565-4575 to bring the benefits Girl Scouting to your daughter.

United Way of Sheboygan County, Inc.

Column for Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Written by Emily Rendall-Araujo

Associate Director of Community Development

emily@uwofsc.org

920-458-3425

Client Experience: Girl Scouts’ Leadership Experience

Every month, we feature a United Way Partner Agency’s client experience, demonstrating the impact that donations to United Way of Sheboygan County are making. This month’s client experience was submitted directly by Denise Schemenauer, Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Manitou Council, as part of their annual application for Leadership Experience program funding.

“Girl Scout Meg Biznek was brought to tears reading a note from a woman who was staying in the room her troop redecorated at Safe Harbor. The woman, a domestic violence survivor, said, ‘walking into the room gave a sense of peace to my soul. You girls showed me that life is beautiful even in the hard and sad times.’ 

“Meg said, ‘It made our hearts full to know that our desire to give a women a safe haven in the midst of chaos actually is happening and the project has come full circle for us.’

“Meg's troop leader commented that, ‘Our young Girl Scouts truly learned from their visits to Safe Harbor. We are grateful that the Safe Harbor team sat with the troop, taught Safe Harbor's mission, explained the importance of respect and dignity of these families, and elaborated on the flexibility needed on both ends to complete the project. Actually being in the residence, we struck conversations with those who approached us, and the Scouts got to see first-hand the faces and hearts of a few of the survivors.’

“This project was a true collaboration between the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and Safe Harbor and demonstrates the power of one of the outcomes of the program – that Girl Scouts give service to those in need.”

Meg’s mother, Amy Biznek, added that, “Meg has recently decided she wants to complete her Gold Award project, the highest award in Girl Scouting, with Safe Harbor by not only adopting another room, but hopefully taking it a step further by coordinating a drive for additional items.  Meg plans to meet later this week with Amy Odekirk, director of program quality, to discuss it.

“It was truly a great experience for these young women and to see up close the need and the appreciation of Safe Harbor’s residents. It was something special.”

Girls 5-7 years old are now joining Girl Scout troops all over Sheboygan County.  Look for the flyer that your daughter will bring home the first week of school, log on to www.gsmanitou.org or call (920) 565-4575 to bring the benefits Girl Scouting to your daughter.