Vestal Girl Scouts Ava Ryczak and Ellie Russell, both age 14, have redesigned a room for nursing mothers at Mom’s House in Johnson City as part of their Girl Scout Silver Award project. The girls are members of Troop 30524, part of the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways (GSNYPENN) Council.
The Silver Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8) can earn. Girls who pursue it look around their neighborhoods and/or schools and develop a project to make their community better in the process.
Mom’s House is a non-profit organization that empowers economically disadvantaged single parents to complete their education by providing free, New York State-licensed childcare in an environment that nurtures both parent and child.
Pictured is the room for nursing mothers at Mom’s House in Johnson City, the final result of a Girl Scout Silver Award project, completed by Vestal Girl Scouts Ellie Russell and Ava Ryczak of Troop 30524. (Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways)
For their project, Ave and Ellie researched the rights of breastfeeding mothers, interviewed a lactation consultant, and received ideas from local mothers to make the room a functional and cozy space for working nursing moms to use.
The pair held fundraisers at yard sales and town events and collected donations from friends. Through their efforts, they handmade a cushion for the rocking chair, created a sign for the door, sewed curtains for the window, and equipped the nursing room with a shelf they painted themselves that includes a tiny fridge, sound machine, snacks, bottled water, phone chargers, hand sanitizer, and even homemade bibs donated by a friend. They also added a nursing pillow and step stool for comfort.
“I learned so much about Mom’s House and all they do for our community,” said Ava. While Ellie shared that she’s hopeful that this Girl Scout Silver Award project will “create a useful and relaxing space for moms.”
Pictured, from left, are Vestal Girl Scouts Ellie Russell and Ava Ryczak of Troop 30524, part of the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways Council. (Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways)
To learn more about the project, contact Troop 30524 Co-Leader Molly Russell at (607) 341-1239.
GSNYPENN serves girls in K-12 across 26 counties: Allegany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Oswego, Otsego, St. Lawrence, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne and Yates in New York and Bradford and Tioga in Pennsylvania. Annual membership is $25; financial assistance is available.
To learn more about the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways Council, visit gsnypenn.org/.
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