Cool Kids: Going for the Gold

For high school seniors, June is a hectic month. Students are busy planning their futures, attending graduation parties and anxiously awaiting the next phase of their lives.

Meganne Holehan, who graduated from Post Falls High School earlier this month, has undertaken a huge volunteer project at this busy time – an impressive fact, to say the least.

In an effort to earn the Girl Scouts’ Gold Award, Holehan is organizing a volunteer fair in conjunction with United Way of Kootenai County, Wal-Mart and several area nonprofit agencies. The Gold Award, equivalent to the Eagle Scout award for Boy Scouts, is the highest award given to senior Girl Scouts.

To receive the award, Holehan had to plan and organize a project that demonstrates organizational, leadership and networking skills. According to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, the Gold Award was given to only 5 percent of eligible senior Girl Scouts last year.

Holehan said the idea for the volunteer fair, to be held on Saturday, began with a conversation among her fellow troop members and their parents.

“I wanted to do something with volunteers,” she said.

The idea quickly evolved into a joint effort with the United Way of Kootenai County.

“The idea for the fair was one of those things where like minds come together,” said Caryl Johnston, executive director of Kootenai County’s United Way.

“The United Way of Kootenai County is beginning a community volunteer center,” Johnston said. “We will have a Web site where all local agencies and organizations that have volunteer opportunities can post their needs and a description of duties. And people from the community who are interested in volunteering can go to the Web site and get connected to opportunities that interest them.”

Holehan says community education is the key to recruiting volunteers.

“I want the community to have more of an awareness of what is offered through agencies in the area that offer so many services we take for granted,” she said.

To ensure that the fair is a success, Holehan is working closely with Johnston. With Johnston providing names of contacts, Holehan is responsible for sending out invitations to area nonprofit agencies.

“Invitations have gone out to at least 40 agencies,” said Holehan. “We are hoping to get at least 30 there.”

The fair, which will take place in the Post Falls Wal-Mart parking lot on from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will highlight agencies such as the local food bank and Humane Society as well as various church groups.

Holehan said that because community needs not only are so great but also are so diverse, the fair will be a good opportunity for people to visit with representatives from different agencies to see what kind of work would best fit each person’s talents.

Johnston said one of the biggest things she hears from local organizations is that they could do so much more if they had more volunteers. She hopes Holehan’s project will help.

“Many people in the community think about volunteering – they just don’t know where to plug in,” said Johnston. “The volunteer festival will give people an opportunity to check out several organizations that are recruiting volunteers and to find ways to get involved in community service.”

No fee is charged for a nonprofit agency to set up a booth at the volunteer fair. To offset costs, Holehan has solicited donations and also will hold a raffle to raise money to pay expenses.

For Holehan, graduation does not mean she is leaving her Girl Scout days behind. Her mother has been her troop leader for 12 of the 13 years she has been in Scouting, and her brother, 20, earned his Eagle Scout award.

“We are a Scouting family,” said Holehan, who adds that she will continue as a registered leader in her troop. “I cannot just drop it after all these years. I love the experiences I have had with Girl Scouts.”

Holehan says that being a Girl Scout has given her opportunities to travel and meet people from all over the world. She went to Mexico last year for two weeks, where she met a Scout from England. Holehan says they have maintained their friendship, communicating online nearly every day.

In the fall, Holehan will attend the University of Idaho, where she plans to major in political science and marketing with a minor in psychology. She already has earned 15 college credits through a dual enrollment at Post Falls High School and North Idaho College, taking college-level psychology, economics and philosophy.

Holehan also is involved in DECA and recently returned from a six-day trip to Orlando where her team competed in the quiz bowl, earning a spot among the top 16 teams in the nation.

Holehan says she is excited about the volunteer fair and hopes it not only will earn her the Gold Award but also will help make a difference in the community.

“I’ve seen (through Girl Scouts) how big a difference volunteering can make in the community,” said Holehan. “And it does not take much to help out. You can do a lot with just little things.”