Girls from the GEMS Club (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Saviour) at Olds First Baptist Church set to work last month earning a badge that is also benefiting new mothers around town.
One smaller group in the club, which has about 50 members total, put together gift bags full of personal care products, which they donated to the Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre.
"This was an opportunity to share something in a tangible way with the women themselves," said group leader Ruth Reilly, "because I know that many things are donated to the care centre for the babies that are about to be born, but (this project) looks at aspects of a woman's needs, not just pregnancy."
The group of seven - one of four "discovery groups" for girls in grades 4, 5 and 6 - was working on their Personal Care badge, one of more than 100 to choose from in the program. There are common elements for each badge, said Reilly, including a memory verse, workbook activities and practical projects.
One of those projects was to make gift bags for donation, in order to help others take care of themselves. The girls collected items, including shampoos, soaps and other toiletries, and filled 10 bags with 10 items, which they in turn dropped off at the pregnancy centre.
The bags will be handed out to recent mothers, moms-to-be or "any woman who walks through their door, who (they) sense has a need for a personal touch or personal care," said Reilly.
"We're just letting the moms know that we care about them, as well as the babies," said Reilly. "This was a natural flow out of badge requirements, to do something nice for someone else."
"We're just letting the moms know that we care about them, as well as the babies."RUTH REILLY GROUP LEADER
