Photo by Justin Criado

Girl Scout Troop 51337 delivered over 500 pairs of socks and 200 Valentine’s Day cards to Central Northside’s Light of Life Rescue Mission Wednesday, Feb. 11.

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By Justin Criado

Girl Scout Troop 51337 pranced around the corner of Federal Street onto Western Avenue as if marching in a parade of sorts Wednesday, Feb. 11. Carrying large bags and totes, the group of girls headed straight towards Light of Life Rescue Mission.

As part of their Bronze Award Project, the junior girl scouts donated over 500 pairs of socks and 200 handmade Valentine’s Day cards to the mission just in time for this weekends Valentine’s Day. The project, which started with a visit to the shelter a couple of months ago, is appropriately named “Warm Their Hearts and Soles.”

“Light of Life was great. They let us come down and just do a little tour, and they were fantastic,” troop leader Erin Quinlan said. “They answered all the girls’ questions. The two things they really remembered where the Valentines that they do for the women’s and children’s programs, and the need for socks so they decided they wanted to warm the hearts and soles of the homeless for Valentine’s Day.”

The troop, which serves the areas of nearby Franklin Park and Ingomar, asked elementary schools, churches, local retailers, friends and families to help support the project with donations only to collect 586 pairs of socks and 257 cards in all.

“This is a really important project to us because so many people come through these doors feeling really lonely and hopeless, and the girls taking the initiative to make these Valentines and donate socks is a way of showing them that they are loved,” Kate Wadsworth, public relations manager, said.

The personal cards shared words of encouragement and support as some girls explained they just want the recipients to know that people care about them.

“They wanted to do a video to express that to the community and help make sure the community was aware of Light of Life and what they do, and the things the community can do to continue to help,” Quinlan said.

Director of programs Jerrel Gilliam talked to the girls about their project and donation, explaining that sometimes in life a generous gesture can go a long way in helping people who may have fallen on some tough times.

“There’s ups and downs in life and each person’s is different, but what you did will help in getting them back on the right path,” Gilliam said.

Troop 51337 members are: Anna Marie Arlet, Eva Betz, Madyson Cieszynski, Chloe Cummings, Sidney Fedell, Hannah Hammond, Julia Kirsch, Morgan Lynch, Natalie Marquiss, Riley Meyers, Gillian Myers, Megan Quinlan, Alexandra Romanchik and Kiera West.