Run-Read-Lead
Fit Girls and Community Outreach
"We can do no great thing. Only small things with great love." - Mother Teresa
Learning about and supporting the efforts of Reclaim Childhood was a wonderful means for Fit Girls to connect with and understand the struggles of girls in the Middle East. Reclaim Childhood empowers girls through sport and play.
Recommended Reading: The Bread Winner by Deborah Ellis
These girls learned about and raised funds for Community Water Solutions providing families in Africa with clean drinking water. They achieved their goal of raising $1,000 in order to sponsor a village in Africa. We love the sign!
Recommended Reading: Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park
This Fit Girls team raised funds for First Book, a literacy nonprofit providing new books for children in need.
Recommended reading: Year of the Book by Anna Wang
Learning about the mission and working together to contribute to the goals of a local charity enables us to feel and see the value of generosity and the benefits of kindness.
A positive sense of community and connectedness to others builds self-esteem and confidence. We encourage teams of Fit Girls to give back to their community and support organizations that are IMPORTANT TO THEM. Girls will be more invested if they have some sort of personal connection to the cause.
Fit Girls teams have come up with FABULOUS fundraising activities and projects including bake sales, lemonade stands, bottle and can drives, and car washes. The goal is to encourage girls to take the initiative in developing creative and “fun” fundraising projects. When girls accept the responsibility and challenge of creating a community service project they are developing important leadership skills.
Community outreach is MUCH MORE than raising dollars. There are lots of great projects and ideas that get girls involved without asking them to raise money. The Bates Fit Girls (Wellelsley MA) participated in Nike's Reuse a Shoe program where they collected and recycled old sneakers/running shoes. This is a wonderful project that ties into many community efforts to "go green".