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Local Girl Scouts Help Girls with Disabilities Earn Badges

Los Angeles, California, October 10, 2005 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Four Angeles Council Girl Scouts age 15 - 17, are volunteering to record the Junior Girl Scout Badge Book at the Hollywood studio of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D). Los Angeles area residents Jenni Beckwith, Danielle Espinoza, Clare Snodgrass and Jordan Bennett responded to a "Sudden Service" e-mail about the recording project with RFB&D-LA. The four young women are now giving a voice to the Junior Girl Scout Badge Book so that younger Girl Scouts with vision, physical or learning disabilities across the nation will have equal access to the printed page, by Learning Through Listening®.

Projects like this one with RFB&D-LA as well as others with Surfrider, the National Letter Carrier's Food Drive and Operation Gratitude keep these older girls challenged and involved in a safe environment with other girls their age. According to the Ten Emerging Truths Study by the Girl Scout Research Institute, teen girls ages 11 -17 are looking for a sense of closeness and a connection with girls around them. Brittany, one of the study participants, says, "I would like to belong to something where I could make new friends and help other girls feel better, like they belong."

RFB&D serves more than 137,000 students nationwide. The organization's membership is comprised of students in kindergarten through graduate school, as well as working professionals who find it difficult-or impossible-to read printed material. The Los Angeles Unit of RFB&D has three local recording studios located in Reseda, Redondo Beach and Hollywood where volunteers record the textbooks and other educational materials. RFB&D's national library presently has more than 104,000 titles recorded by volunteers all over the nation.

"Community Service is instilled in the Girl Scouts at a very young age and even when they are busy, they are always willing to help the community and especially fellow Girl Scouts," says Yvonne Hall, Communications Specialist in charge of the Sudden Service group.

Each of the four Girl Scouts had to complete training earlier this summer before entering the recording booth where they now spend two hours a week working on the book that details all the badges and requirements available to Girl Scouts that are 8-11 years old.

"We encourage high-achieving high school and college students to record textbooks and other materials for our younger RFB&D student members. Our youth volunteers are so great at bringing these books to life, and it's a wonderful opportunity for the teenaged volunteers to have a positive impact on their surrounding community," said Becky Christiansen, RFB&D-LA's Production Director.

Other Girl Scouts that were unable to participate in the Junior Girl Scout Badge Book project will be signing up to volunteer for other RFB&D youth projects - including the recording of textbooks that are scheduled for completion later this year.

For more information about becoming a Girl Scout or a volunteer, contact Angeles Girl Scout Council at 310-450-3720 x201 or visit them online at www.angeles.org.
For information about volunteering at one of three LA area studios of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic or go get help, call 800 732-TEXT .