Earning a sustainable gold

Olivia Smith helps direct stocking. COURTESY PHOTO

By Tony Farkas
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APPLE SPRINGS — Olivia Smith attained the highest level in the Girl Scouts and found a way to help students in need.

Olivia, an Ambassador-level scout with the San Jacinto Council, has been named a winner of a Gold Award, and will receive her honor at a ceremony in Stafford on May 19.

Part of that award includes a project; Olivia had to create something that is sustainable, required 80-plus hours of work and included a team of helpers.

The project she chose was converting a storage room in the Apple Springs Elementary School into a needs closet for students — the Little Eagle Closet.

“We have donated books and games, and created a place for them, and a place for clothes, shoes and hygiene products,” Olivia said. “Kids in need can take what they need. Teachers were providing those; this helps teachers by keeping them from paying for clothes.”

The donated items are sanitized and sorted; cash donations are used toward buying new undergarments and hygiene products.

To make it sustainable, the school will hold annual clothing drives, and donations will be taken always, and once she leaves school, her helpers and other students will keep the closet going.

Donations can be brought to the school at any time; for information, call the elementary school.