Project has silver lining

A Costa Mesa Girl Scout is working toward her Silver Award by dedicating her project to helping an animal sanctuary in the San Jacinto Mountains.Many 13-year-olds would have a hard time committing to anything for a year of their life.

Not Alyssa Allison.

The Costa Mesa resident and dedicated Girl Scout has been working hard for the past several months on her Silver Award project, which is the highest honor a Girl Scout younger than 14 can earn.

Although the first stage of the project is complete, Alyssa will continue with the project throughout the year.

Lesley Finch, program specialist for the Girl Scout Council of Orange County, said the idea behind the Silver Award is for the girls to challenge themselves by doing something they’ve never done.

Before moving forward with the project, which the girls develop on their own, they must first complete a series of prerequisites that are designed to develop leadership, explore career possibilities and challenge the scouts.

“Less than half of our girls earn the Silver Award,” Finch said. “It is something to be excited about, something to be proud about.”

Alyssa decided to base her project around the Living Free Animal Sanctuary in the San Jacinto Mountains. Her aunt, Linda Morrel, adopted two cats -- Norman and Bradshaw -- from there last year. That’s how Alyssa heard about the nonprofit organization that rescues animals who are about to be euthanized.

“I’m helping out Living Free Animal Sanctuary because I really care about the animals in society,” Alyssa said. “I just want to help out. It’s a good learning experience for girls.”

After completing all the prerequisites last year, Alyssa began work on the project in August. She contacted Danette Grady, public relations manager for Living Free, to find out what the organization needs and to determine how she could help.

“She called me, and then we kept in contact via e-mail,” Grady said. “She was a very professional young lady; it was a pleasure talking with her. To me, she expressed the true values of what the Girl Scouts really do stand for.”

Alyssa spent the following two months collecting items on the sanctuary’s wish list from friends, neighbors, other Girl Scouts, Girl Scout leaders and stores. She also made up 50 fliers explaining her project and how she plans to implement it.

On Oct. 15 -- the 25th anniversary event for Living Free -- Alyssa, her aunt, and her mother, Kathy Allison, drove up to the sanctuary and delivered six boxes of donated goods, including dog beds, dog biscuits, pet food, office paper, a digital camera and more.

“They just did an incredible donation of the most wonderful items for our dogs and cats,” Grady said. “They were just so generous in their support.”

Kathy Allison, who is also the leader of Girl Scout Troop 361, said three of six girls in her troop are going for their Silver Award. She said she tried to make it easier on them by making all the prerequisites available last year.

“They have to really want to do it,” she said. “It really has to be something they feel strongly about; otherwise, they’re not going to enjoy it.”

Kathy Allison added that it takes a lot of work -- the project requires 40 hours of service work, which does not include any of the prerequisites.

“We’re proud of them for sticking with it, and it does help them to build their skills,” Finch said.

The next step for Alyssa, according to the timeline she came up with, is for her to make a presentation to local Girl Scout leaders in January about what she’s been doing. She already spoke in front of them at the start of her project, so she said she won’t be as nervous the next time.

Alyssa will also prepare bags of dry ingredients for dog biscuits and distribute them to the leaders, which they will then take back to their troops and prepare. Alyssa and her mom will make another trip to Living Free in February to drop off the treats. After that, she said, she will quilt a blanket or two to donate.

“I was very impressed with her and just who she is as a person,” Grady said. “She is a very mature young lady and expresses herself so well and has a true desire to help in a very generous way with animals.”

For more information on the Living Free Sanctuary, visit www.living-free.org.20051026ioy439knDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Alyssa Allison flips through the photo album that is documenting the progress on her Girl Scout Silver Award project.