Dec 23, 2016 2 min read

A local Girl Scout troop is helping other children have a very merry Christmas.

The seven members of Girl Scout Troop 52020 collected and distributed gifts and food to nearly 60 local families during two distributions held Dec. 3 and 16.

The 11- and 12-year-old girls handed out toys and food to 26 families at the food pantry at the Upper Ten Mile Valley Church, where the troop volunteers monthly, and to 33 families at First Christian Church in Washington, where the girls hold their Girl Scout meetings.

In all, 86 children received eight to 12 gifts each, and their families received a box of nonperishable food items to prepare a Christmas dinner.

The girls undertook the project to earn their Silver Award, one of the highest honors a Girl Scout can earn, for completing a venture that makes the community better.

“We make them put in a lot of volunteer hours. I think it’s important for them to learn more than just how to earn patches in Scouts. We want to teach them about humanity, compassion, love and the art of giving,” said troop leader Christy Dinch. “They need to learn qualities that you don’t get by reading a book.”

The toop placed Angel Trees at local businesses so that people could adopt a child, and businesses, organizations and individuals donated toys, clothing and food.

Mystro’s Movement, a nonprofit organization created in memory of Vinnie Kelley, who was killed in June 2013 while attempting to stop a bank robbery at Giant Eagle in Strabane Square, adopted 32 children from the Angel Trees.

Dinch and some of the Girl Scouts’ parents spent several weeks shopping for toys and clothes, and the girls sorted, packaged and distributed the gift packages.

Dinch said the troop wants to make the gift drive an annual event.

“The girls put a lot of hard work into this,” said Dinch. “We know it was a huge success this year, and we want to keep it going. Families were crying when they picked up their stuff because they never expected seven little 11-year-olds to do what they did.”