Poway Girl Scout helps orphans, earns Gold Award

By helping orphans in Mexico obtain basic supplies, a Poway Girl Scout has earned her Gold Award, the organization’s highest honor.

“I chose this project to help make a difference in the daily lives of these very poor and deprived children,” said Ambassador Girl Scout Amy Ellis. “I wanted their voices to be heard so they can live a happier and healthier life.”

Through her project, Orphan Love, and work with members of St. Michael’s parish, Ellis provided desperately-needed basic personal hygiene products and blankets to 100 children, who ranged from infants to 18 years at the La Tribu de Jesus Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico.

Ellis said her initial goal was to provide 200 items to the orphans, but she “happily surpassed” that when 2,000 items were donated through her collection efforts, including 30 blankets.

“My project had a significant impact on the community,” Ellis said. “Through my various presentations, informational video and blanket making workshops, I started on a mission to help the orphanage. The community responded with compassion, understanding and abundant donations. They continue to carry on my work.”

Ellis said that through her Gold Award project she “learned that life is all about helping and caring for others. My project enlightened me to become an advocate for the less fortunate. By educating and inspiring people to donate to Orphan Love, I feel I made a big difference in this world.”

The daughter of Poway residents John and Julie Ellis was in Girl Scouts for 13 years, joining as a Daisy in kindergarten. Other achievements included earning the Girl Scout Silver and Bronze awards, plus the Family of God, I Live My Faith and Spirit Alive awards.

Regarding the Gold Award, presented to her during Girl Scouts San Diego’s annual councilwide Gold Award ceremony on June 16 in Copley Symphony Hall, Ellis said, “It’s very exciting to earn the highest achievement in Girl Scouts. The Gold Award has always been once of my goals to reach and I’m happy I accomplished it. It’s all about helping others and making this world better place to live in.”

The 2017 Cathedral Catholic High School graduate just completed her first year at the University of San Francisco, where she is majoring in business marketing and communications.

In addition to Girl Scouts, she completed over 400 service hours during her seven years in the Poway National Charity League. She also volunteered as a food server for six years at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Poway. Her school activities included playing on Cathedral Catholic’s tennis, golf, badminton and track teams.

As for her favorite Scouting memory, Ellis said, it occurred during a first grade troop sleep over at SeaWorld. “I learned all about caring for the marine animals and got to touch baby leopard sharks. It was so fun.”

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Profiles of the four area Girl Scouts who received their Gold Award at the council’s June 16 ceremony are being published throughout the summer.

email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com