Opportunity Fund
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Girl Scout Opportunity Fund: 
Keeping Dreams Alive During Hard Times
Donate Now ● Molly's Story ● How Your Gift Could Help Dreams Come True
“We would never have thought of asking for or needing financial aid until my husband’s company closed in this recession.” - Molly's mom
After 11 years as a camper, 17-year-old Molly was looking forward to celebrating her final summer at Girl Scout camp, where she would finish out her experience working in a leadership program as a role model for younger girls.
And then her father’s work place shut down.
For more than a decade, Molly had been attending Diablo Day Camp, a Girl Scout camp run by volunteers in Contra Costa County. Girl Scouting was a family affair; her mother, Cheryl, had been volunteering at the camp since her daughter was a Brownie.
Once she turned 13, Molly was chosen for the camp’s Elf Program, which provides leadership experiences and fosters teamwork and communication skills that the girls will carry forward into all aspects of their life. Elves work with adult leaders to deliver camp program for younger campers. Molly’s last summer would be the culmination of all of her hard work over the summers and the crowning achievement of the Girl Scout experience — growing up to be a leader and mentor for younger girls.
Suddenly, Molly’s family found themselves in a situation that so many families are facing today: with no job and bills piling up, the family couldn’t afford to send their daughter to camp one last time.
Faced with tough economic times, families just like Molly’s struggle to make ends meet, and the hard choices they are forced to make often mean that dreams crash to the ground.
“Her dad’s job loss caught us all by surprise,” Cheryl said.
Molly’s story, however, has a happy ending, thanks to people like you who make gifts every year to the Girl Scout Opportunity Fund.
“I have been a big volunteer since my 17-year old was a Brownie, and she has gotten so much from Girl Scouting!” Cheryl said. “We would never have thought of asking for or needing financial aid until my husband’s company closed in this recession.”
The Girl Scout Opportunity Fund keeps dreams alive for families like Molly’s who need financial aid to provide the Girl Scout experience for their daughters. Each year, financial aid helps more than 5,200 girls to join troops, attend camp, purchase uniforms, and take life-changing field trips.
“If Molly couldn’t have attended this, her final year, she would have been one sad Girl Scout,” Cheryl said. “It’s nice to know this financial aid program is in place … and we very much appreciate it!”
Doesn’t every girl deserve the opportunity to dream? You can help us make dreams come true — by making a donation to the Opportunity Fund.
Your help makes a difference.
When you support Girl Scouts of Northern California’s Opportunity Fund, you are literally making dreams come true for girls who, without you, could not experience the extraordinary opportunities that we provide. Thanks to generous donors like you, the financial aid provided from our Girl Scout Opportunity Fund allows EVERY girl to experience fun, friendship and adventure.
The economy presents us with a challenge: as families experience tougher financial times, our requests for financial aid increase – but our girls’ dreams don’t go away.
