Contributed by Jen Haselhorst
Hillcrest third grade Girl Scout Troop 50972 collected 55 containers of laundry soap. A guest speaker from the St. Vincent de Paul Society spoke to the girls about how to help those less fortunate while working on their Philanthropy badge. He told them some of the items that shelters always need but rarely get are milk, bread, laundry soap, cooking spices and cooking oil. The girls took this information and decided to make a difference by collecting laundry soap. They each reached out to six neighbors asking for donations. The girls put all their donations together at their December meeting and gave them to the guest speaker. This soap will help support several local charities who do laundry for the homeless including Fr. Phil Marquard Center, St. Leonard’s House, Grace House and Franciscan House Shelter. Their leader said “I am so proud of the girls for making a tangible difference in the Chicago-land community.”