COURT HOUSE – The Cape May Court House Christmas Cheer Squad was flexing its muscles Dec. 16 as they wrapped gifts for two special ‘adopted’ families.
According to a release, the girls were Seniors and Cadettes from Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey and making the community a better place is part of their mission. This year they doubled the cheer.
For the last six years, a group of these girls has adopted a family during the holiday season.
The girls work with Sharon Kane of Adopt-A-Family Christmas Program to be connected to their families.
Over the years, their effort has expanded as Court House Girl Scout Troop 42358 has grown. This year they were able to adopt two families.
The girls were happy that they were able to adopt two families because the program, which is in its 10th year, can get up to 50 families a year and sometimes has trouble matching all of the families in need.
The girls budgeted $100 per child for which they had three. Adopt-A-Family provided a list of suggestions for each child.
The girls met at Walmart and divided into three teams. The team worked cooperatively so that they could fulfill as many wishes possible for each child.
One of their children is autistic, and the Girl Scouts wanted to find sensory gifts that would be most engaging.
Another recipient noted that she is health-conscious, so the girls selected items that were chemical-free, vegan and cruelty-free.
They had enough money left in the budget to purchase a water bottle.
The girls (aka Christmas Cheer Squad) got together to wrap all of the presents that will be delivered by Santa to the families.
Girl Scout Parker Lengle noted, “this experience was really fun, and my group was really devoted to finding the perfect gifts. We hope she likes them.”
Isabella Pasciuccio added “It was nice to be assigned a person rather than just donating a toy.
It’s cool to imagine how the child’s face will look when he/she opens a gift that was handpicked.”
According to troop leader Christine Scarpa, this group of Girl Scout Seniors and Cadettes is dedicated to this program and will continue doing it every year.
In addition to the presents selected by the girls, the troop families donated ShopRite gift cards and purchased plush blankets for them to stay warm through the winter.
