BERLIN — A local girl scout working on her Gold Award project could use the public’s help in accomplishing her goal.
Lauren Paulsen, a sophomore at Stephen Decatur High School, is seeking the highest and most prestigious award a Girl Scout can achieve. It requires that she completes a minimum of 80 hours of service and that her project make a mark in the community that creates a lasting impact on the lives of others. She has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten.
For her project, she is building a pergola at the Berlin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to provide shade and more comfort for the residents and visitors of the Compassion Cove Unit. It will also include a brick paved area underneath the pergola to accommodate wheel chairs. This is a team effort with the Berlin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
The reason Paulsen selected this project is because her grandmother is a resident of Compassion Cove and she has always enjoyed being outside. When she takes her grandmother outside in her wheelchair to the gazebo, there is not enough room for more than two wheelchairs at a time.
“She ends up sitting in the hot sun and I end up sitting on the hot sidewalk below her. When it’s time to leave, she tries to navigate the sidewalk and ends up with a wheel stuck in the grass,” Paulsen said.
Paulsen originally thought that it would be nice to have a couple of benches around the area for family members to sit on, but then she realized that she could change the entire area.
“This is just the beginning,” she said. “I envision that once the patio and pergola are in place, gardens will be created, birdhouses will arrive, and my idea will be sustainable for many years to come.”
Pauslen is asking the community to join with her in her effort in “an opportunity for everyone to honor or memorialize a loved one’s name and/or sentiment by purchasing one or more engraved bricks ($100-$150). Your participation will help me finance the project and it will create a permanent keepsake for your family or friends. With your generous support, I can reach my goal of raising $6,000.”
Orders, which need to be placed before the end of the year, can easily be placed online at www.bricks4compassion.com or by contacting Paulsen at 410-641-7950.