Girl Scouts Create ‘Senior Social’ and Follow Up with Valentines @ Rotary Club Plaza

Culver City Girls Scouts continue to shift the landscape of the community. Evan Fratantuno, Eve Trapnell and Fielden Coombs-Perez are on their way to earning their Silver Award, the second highest achievement in scouting. The first is the Bronze Award, the last is the Gold Award  (see culvercitycrossroads.com/2019/02/13/gun-buy-back-gold-award-gets-67-weapons-melted-down/)

To earn a Silver Award, the first step is to identify a community issue –  these girls choose Senior Citizens who are lonely, possibly shut in, economically challenged and disconnected. Then, they created an action plan – a “Senior Social” at the Culver City Rotary Club Plaza home for low income seniors. They collected donations from the Chabola family, Albert Vera, Jr. at Sorrento Market, and Danny Cavanaugh, along with full support of the CC Rotary Club. They put the plan into action with hours of planning, calls, organizing and then…the party!

It was a huge success with well over 40 residents attending. The administrator said they usually only get about 15, so the numbers alone spoke well of the whole concept. Most seniors at the Rotary Club Plaza don’t leave their apartments very often, and this was a great way to get them out and get them connected.

The scouts were able to feed the seniors hot meal, created raffle baskets to give to the residents and mingled with a roving photo booth, giving the seniors keepsake polaroid photos. Fratantuno, Trapnell and Coombs-Perez made their own flower arrangements, set up the food and desserts and created some friendships that will last a lifetime.

They went back to Rotary Club Plaza on Valentine’s Day to hang handmade Valentines on 100 doors and are in the process of creating a photo album for the facility to keep in their rec. room.

When the scouts were asked what inspired this particular Silver Award, they had some thoughtful answers.

What do you think your life will be like when you are a senior citizen? 

Fielden-  “I think I will probably live in Culver City and will have Grandkids that come to visit me.  I think I will be a part of the YMCA board and I will be involved in the community.  I would like to travel too and have friends around the area.”

Evan- “I think that I will travel and maybe learn French.”
Eve- “I think that I will live someplace warm.  Palm Springs and I think I will be into travel, like my Dad is.  Hopefully I will be accomplished with something.”
 Why is creating connection important?
Fielden- “It is because you are going to know people though your community and have friends.  It gives people a sense of livelilhood and helps them feel less lonely.  You can create conversations with people who have different opinion and learn their prospective.”
Eve- “My Dad says, the more connections you have the more opportunities will come your way.”
Do you see yourself as a person with ideas –  are you a leader?
Fielden- “Yes, because I have my own idea and able to listen to other and listen to them without changing my own opinions.”
Eve- ” I see my self with a lot of ideas, but I don’t know if I am a leader. I would still like to help others.”
Evan- “I like taking intuitive and taking my ideas and other peoples ideas and combining them.  I like working with others as a leader.
I have lots of ideas and I am good at giving direction to others.”

Congratulations to the scouts, the seniors and the leaders for creating connections and fostering friendships.

The senior pictured above, Henriette, has connected with Evan and will be teaching her French. 

Judith Martin-Straw

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The Actors' Gang

2 Comments

  1. It is great to read positive stories of our younger generation taking total initiative in planning and doing an activity to serve the senior population. It shows character, selflessness and civic responsibility. Very proud of these girls. They are our future!!!

  2. I am so proud of these ladies! What they’re doing is wonderful. It makes me feel good knowing that this generation will do things like this that make our world a better place!

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