Sometimes the youngest citizens set the best examples.
As the changing landscape inside department stores alerts shoppers of the rapidly approaching holiday season, so too do Salvation Army bell ringers standing outside in the frigid cold. It's a constant reminder to think of those less fortunate than yourself during the winter months.
On Tuesday, four Junior Girl Scouts did just that by volunteering at Fruit of the Vine food shelf in Burnsville. The nonprofit is one of the largest food shelves in the state, serving about 900 families — or 8,000 people — a month.
Most of the residents who rely on its services are suffering from "situational poverty," said Executive Director Brian Geraty. The shelf provides a 10-day supply of groceries for residents, who typically go only a handful of times a year, until they can get back on their feet.
As orders spewed out on an electronic machine, Scouts from Troop 54085 filled donated Target carts with prepackaged food, placing name tags on each one for families waiting in the next room. Once each cart was filled — based on family size — it was weighed and pushed out to the parking lot.
The eager fifth-graders gingerly loaded the clients' cars, then began the assembly line process anew.
Vicki Truesdell, one of the small troop's co-leaders, said she wanted the girls to understand the importance of charity, particularly during the holidays. "We're trying to teach the girls how to give back and what it's like to be in need," she said. "I just want them to think of other people before they think of themselves."
It's about "needs vs. wants," explained her 10-year-old daughter Kaitlin, providing the example of needing food over wanting an iPod for Christmas.
