Raves, Rants & Roses

ROSES: I would like to acknowledge and congratulate Julie Arnold for earning the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. The award is the highest given a Girl Scout between the ages of 14 and18. This young lady demonstrated a deep commitment for fulfilling a critical need at ADAPT (Adolescent Development & Achievement Program of Tyler, Inc.) during the 2007-08 school year.

ADAPT is an after-school and summer program where youth learn to develop the values and life skills they need to make the right choices in life. Young people ages 8-18 learn to stay motivated and focused on their goals.

High school junior Arnold, in her eleventh year as a Girl Scout, was looking for a service project. After finding 98 percent of ADAPT participants coming from households where the income qualifies the children for free- or reduced-cost meals at school she wanted to help children who possibly did not have enough to eat. Ms. Arnold, with help from the East Texas Food Bank, organized a "Back Pack" program at ADAPT.

She arrived at ADAPT every Friday during the 2007-08 school year and began sorting food and filling blue backpacks with enough food products to sustain a child over the weekend. The backpacks were filled with nutritious food. The child accepted the responsibility of returning the backpack the following Monday so the cycle could continue on Friday.

This dedicated young Girl Scout obviously used professional fundraising skills and networking abilities to obtain the funds needed to purchase the blue backpacks and meals. She was a whiz at record keeping and reported her backpack activities to Brandi Lambert at the East Texas Food Bank.

ADAPT is a partner agency of the Food Bank.

Julia's project will continue during the 2008-09 school year with funds she established for the ADAPT "Back Pack" Program.

What a difference her project has made to many young people. This young lady reached out into the community and created both immediate and long-term positive changes in the lives of children.

The Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas will host Tyler Real Girls Real Women Awards Luncheon and Auction on Sept. 18. One of the honorees at this event will be Julia Arnold.

T. Diane Isham
Executive Director
ADAPT