Silver Award Project

Right now the world is full of uncertainty, in 2020, we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I never would have thought that I’d make such a difference as a 12 year old girl during this scary time. My Girl Scout Silver Award journey began when one of my troop leaders reached out to my family. She is an EMT, she told us that PPE (personal protective equipment) was running low. She was scared that there wouldn’t be enough masks to keep her and her coworkers safe. I searched online for a pattern to make a mask, and found one. It wasn’t quite what I needed, the EMT’s were asking to have some made with a pocket in them to insert a disposable filter. It took a few tries, but I got it to work! I donated my first 40 masks to a nurse to share with her unit, she said to me “You could be saving lives, not just ours as nurses, but our patients as well.” This really hit home with me, it was a powerful statement. I decided to keep making masks… Word spread quickly that I was making masks and donating them to essential workers, people were asking how I was making them. With a stay at home order in place it was hard to explain how to make them, I couldn’t just go to my friends’ houses to show them. I had to think outside of the box, so I started a blog, myahscreations.wordpress.com, with a kid friendly tutorial on how to make my masks. Someone saw my blog and shared it with the local news, this was exciting, but then lots of requests started pouring in. I used the power of social media for good and started a Facebook page, “Myah’s Simple Masks” to help get the word out about what I was doing and keep track of my requests. Things were going smooth, I was helping hospitals, first responders, and essential workers all over. We ran into a little problem… Nurses were working long hours and their ears were getting blisters from wearing masks. I found a 3D pattern for “ear guards.” I used my Facebook page to see if anyone locally had a 3D printer and would be willing to help make them. It worked a local couple started making them to share! I also posted about Rainbow Loom bands to help with ear pain, local Girl Scouts jumped into action making hundreds of them! This was amazing, the community was coming together to help me with my project! I felt like I was on top of the world making a difference! I was receiving letters and supplies in the mail from complete strangers. People were even writing to me telling me that I inspired them to make masks for their families and neighbors! My heart was full… I have learned so much from this experience, it’s not about the amount of hours you put into it, it’s what you get out of it. I’ve learned more from this than just how to sew a mask. I’ve learned about community networking, letter writing for donations, time and money management, and social media safety. I even started a fun patch program to encourage other Girl Scouts to join in!

I am prouder than ever to be a Girl Scout. I’ve made over 1,200 masks, and found a silver lining during this scary uncertain time.