Like soldiers on a mission, Girl Scout Troop 1258 marched Thursday into the second-floor pediatrics unit at River Valley Health System.

Friday, December 17, 1999

Like soldiers on a mission, Girl Scout Troop 1258 marched Thursday into the second-floor pediatrics unit at River Valley Health System.

The 11 Brownies and Juniors sang a verse of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" then stacked 148 books and magazines in neat piles on the nurses’ station window ledge.

"I like giving, especially things that will help," scout Diana Wolf said.

Some of Miss Wolf’s books came from her own shelf, but she said she didn’t care.

"I only read part of them and other kids will enjoy them."

The scouts began collecting reading material for the hospital on their own, then wrote letters to every student and parent of Symmes Valley, where they attend school, troop leader Che-Hona Miller said.

"We wanted to try to do more community service rather than activities this year," Mrs. Miller said.

Boxes were placed at the school cafeteria so students could drop off donated items, which included not only books but also canned food, school supplies and anything another child might need.

The "shoebox program" put toys, school supplies and personal items other children might need into one box for giveaways this holiday season, Mrs. Miller said.

Those were given out at school already, she said.

Thursday, bundling into cars like Santa in his sleigh, the scouts took to the road to deliver the books.

"We wanted to help the kids so they won’t be bored while they’re here," scout Brittney Hamilton said.

After the hospital visit, the troop moved on to the Lawrence County Humane Society’s Animal Abuse and Adoption Center to hand out pet supplies, pet blankets and pet toys, which also were collected in weeks past.

"That’s so the pets won’t go hungry, either, and they’ll have fun with toys, too," Miss Hamilton said. "And for people who don’t have that much money to get food, we’re going to give them food."

Three county churches received the collected food items, which will help serve the needy of each congregation, Mrs. Miller said.

Central Christian Church, McDaniels Crossroads Church and Freedom Baptist Church each received boxes with 50 to 65 cans of food. The churches will distribute the food before Christmas.

In the end, the Brownies and Juniors learned valuable lessons about the spirit of holidays, and about life, assistant troop leader Jill Wolf said.

"They’re learning about how to help those who are in need," Mrs. Wolf said, adding that it’s like the lesson that the adage "do unto others" teaches.

"We’ve got some kids who are without and we’re always ready to give something to them."