This post is written by The Daughter:

This year, one of my major goals was to earn the Harriet Tubman Level Award at American Heritage Girls.  It’s an optional Pioneer (middle school) level achievement award.  There are several requirements which include earning at least one badge from each frontier, earning at least two service stars, assisting the younger girls with a badge and hosting an event for them, participating in troop activities and finally, planning and executing a minimum-ten-hour outreach project. I managed to earn all my badges, my service stars, and of course I love to participate!  Three other girls had also committed to earn the badge, so we worked together with guidance from our mentor, to lead a Tender Heart (these girls were 5 & 6 years old) unit meeting focused on the Engineering badge.  We also hosted a short Saturday day camp with the same little girls to work on the Insecta-Inspecta badge.  (Some photos from these events are in March Looked Like This.)

While all this was going on, a fellow pioneer and I partnered to plan a baby item collection to benefit moms served by the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Tidewater, followed by a “baby shower” at our Harriet Tubman Outreach Event which would be held during a troop meeting.  I requested and was granted permission to publicize the collection in both of my co-ops by making announcements and distributing little flyers.  I also delivered flyers to the neighbors on my street.  I made invitations for the AHG girls, with the date of the collection and a list of the most needed baby items.  Mom suggested the theme “Special Delivery” because of some cute stork clip art I found.  She also recommended that I use a tag line on everything so I used “Thanks for helping me help moms in need.” After that, for two weeks, I collected the baby items.  Mom and I were really thrilled with the generosity of our co-op friends, neighbors and AHG families!  We collected over 200 baby items!

For the baby shower, my partner and I planned a game station, snack & story station, and a drawing station! We made tissue paper flowers for decorations, and pan after pan after pan of homemade rice crispie treats! The Harriet Tubman Outreach Event in general, and our baby shower and baby item collection was a success.  The next day, we took the bags and boxes of sorted baby items to the CPC main office, and left feeling very happy. Finally, the last thing we did was very gradually make thank you notes, and hand distribute them to the neighbors and co-ops!

The project was a lot of hard work, but while doing it I learned a lot about planning, and how to write business emails, make flyers, make phone calls, and meet with people! I received the Harriet Tubman Level Award at our May Court of Awards.

A few photos:

The Flyer

The Donations from Homeschool Plus

The Donations from YMV

The Donations from our neighbors and co-ops!

Baby Shower Games

The Party is Over

See our pretty tissue paper flowers?

Dropping off at CPC