Jessie Friedman Holds Sunblock Collections

By Sydne Friedman
As any Girl Scout would know, the Gold Award is the highest achievement possible, the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle Award. It is the highest award that a Girl Scout can attain. It is a service project that must benefit the Girl Scout's community and have a lasting impact. Jessie Friedman, a Junior at Arthur L. Johnson High School, has been working on her Gold Award for the past few months. As part of her project she organized a "Sunscreen Drive", a collection to donate sunscreen, SPF Chapstick, and sunglasses to be distributed to needy families in the community. Speaking about why she did this project, Jessie said, “Everyone needs sunblock to prevent cancer. Unfortunately, it is very expensive and not covered by government benefits.”
 
During the weeks of May 15th and the 22nd, Jessie collected these items from her classmates. A number of teachers supported the effort by offering either extra credit or homework passes. In the end, she had around three-hundred sunscreen bottles, a hundred SPF Chapsticks, and sixty pairs of sunglasses. Half of these items were donated to families in need that are sponsored by Osceola Presbyterian Church in Clark. The other half of the products collected will be donated to the Battered Women Shelter.