Boxes from Brownies

One of my daughters is a Brownie. Her troop consists of 14 other homeschooled girls who enthusiastically gather twice a month to make crafts, have snacks, and learn something new. Another mom and I co-lead the troop.

Since service is at the heart of scouting for both girls and boys, we look for ways to involve 15 giggly girls in something that compels them to think outside of themselves.

Earlier this month, the girls gathered up pet supplies to take to an area animal shelter.

Today, they packed boxes for soldiers.

With Valentine's Day coming up, we thought it was a good time to send love and appreciation to our military members overseas -- folks you know would give anything to be back home with their spouses, children and friends.

When the email went out to all our Brownie families asking each girl to bring ten of one item to fill ten prepaid postage boxes, I figured we'd get a little of this and a little of that since, after all, a lot of families are operating on one income, some are unemployed and others are still recovering from Christmas shopping.

Instead, the girls arrived at their meeting today with bags overflowing, enough to fill at least four more boxes than I'd picked up at the P.O.

A local organization called Cypress Cares collects and mails out hundreds of care packages on a regular basis to U.S. soldiers stationed in the Middle East and Afghanistan. (For more information on this awesome effort, visit the website www.cypress-cares.org) They will mail our boxes, too.

Now, 14 care packages might not seem like a lot, given the fact we've got thousands and thousands of troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But each box will be shared with others, maybe as many as eight others. Doing the math, this means our 14 boxes have the potential to brighten the day of as many as 112 soldiers.

Not too shabby considering it's the effort of only 15 little girls (and their supportive parents).

Sometimes it's hard to know how much projects like this impact children. Do they get it? Do they know what they're doing and why?

Maybe I'm biased, but my daughter and her friends really seem to understand. Ask any one of them who the boxes are going to, why the soldiers need or want them, and why we should bother to send the boxes in the first place.

Chances are you'll get answers that will melt your heart and make you proud to be an American even though that's not fashionable in some circles anymore.

Our Brownies are too young to really know about or care about the political debate that has raged every day since U.S. troops were sent to root out terrorism abroad. Rather, they view the situation from a more practical (and precious) perspective: Soldiers are far from home. They need our support. Let's send them tasty snacks and things to make them more comfortable.

The Girl Scout Promise includes the following: "I will do my best to serve God and my country and to help people at all times."

The Brownies of Troop #15200 are keeping their promise.

If only Washington and Hollywood would do the same. . .