Local Girl Scouts Brighten Lives with Friendship Boxes

When it came time for three local Girl Scout cadets to decide on their Silver Award projects, Gaby Chavarria, 14, Marissa Groglio, 14, and Brianna Cardillo, 14, all knew they wanted to help people, but they had no idea just how many lives they would touch by the time their mission was complete. Together, with the help of fellow Girl Scouts and community members, Chavarria, Groglio and Cardillo were recently able to distribute 390 care packages for their “Operation Friendship Box” project.

The three girls, who are all members of the Girl Scouts’ Heart of the Hudson West Lakeland Troop 2577, spent their past few weeks collecting trinkets, writing inspirational poems, making CDs and creating woven bracelets to fill their friendship boxes. Once filled with these supplies, the boxes were divided up between Oakside and Woodside Elementary students, Copper Beach Middle School students, and children who are residents at Hope’s Door Women’s Shelter.

“We wanted to do something nice for other kids,” Groglio said. “It makes me happy to know we helped people.” 

This week Chavarria, Groglio and Cardillo brought some of their boxes to Oakside Elementary school in Peekskill where they passed them out to third graders who will soon be graduating from Oakside to Hillcrest Elementary. The girls selected Oakside students to receive the Friendship Boxes as a parting gift and to help encourage them prior to their transition to a new school. Boxes were also handed out at Woodside Elementary.

“I’m really glad we were able to make these boxes and help people,” Chavarria said. “It makes me feel all warm on the inside and it makes me smile.”

The remaining boxes have been delivered to Copper Beach Middle School and Hope’s Door and will be distributed to recipients on an “as needed” basis. 

At Copper Beach the boxes will be given to middle school students who are arriving to the district for the first time. Chavarria, Groglio and Cardillo hope their Friendship Boxes will make these students feel welcome at their new school. At Hope’s Door the boxes will be given to the children of women who are staying at the shelter. Chavarria, Groglio and Cardillo hope their Friendship Boxes will help these individuals find inspiration to help them through difficult times.

In an effort to continue the work started by Chavarria, Groglio and Cardillo, Copper Beach Middle School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club will oversee the Operation Friendship Box project moving forward.

“The SADD Club wanted to work with us and have an inspirational effect on people too, so they helped us put the boxes together and are going to keep the project going next year,” Cardillo said. “It’s really exciting to know that our project will keep going and help even more people in the future.”