For the past eight years, Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska has facilitated a wonderful program called, “Scouting for the Cure.” This program is all about cancer awareness, self-care tips, motivational speakers, healthy snacks and the assembly of Chemo Care Kits.
The Chemo Care Kit is our favorite community service project we’ve done and continue to do. Girls are eager to collect donations, think up new items to add to the kits and create hand made treasures to enhance the deep love that goes into every bag.
Over 125 kits have been assembled in the years we have been doing this. . . each one donated to an individual battling cancer or other disease that necessitates a long-term hospital stay. The kits are made up of items that make chemotherapy and radiation treatments a little more bearable.
We include puzzle books, coloring books, colored pencils, card games and snacks to distract the patient during the treatments. We also include chap sticks, hard candy, hand sanitizer, sweet-smelling lotions and bottles of water too!
The Girl Scouts always prepare scrapbooks for each kit filled with drawings, messages of hope and well-wishes. And the one thing that makes our Chemo Care Kits extra special is the addition of a box of Girl Scout cookies or two!
This year, kits will be assembled on March 13, 2021. If you would like to drop off any items for the kits, you may leave donations at Brenda’s Cottage, located at 519 W. 3rd Street in Alliance.
Donations will be picked up from Brenda’s Cottage on Friday, March 12. We need any of the above mentioned items, as well as eye drops, fuzzy socks and granola bars.
Thank you for helping Girl Scouts make the world a better place! If you know of someone who could benefit from receiving a Chemo Care kit in March, please email me at kblumanthal@girlscoutsnebraska.org. We would like to keep the kits in the Panhandle, please.