Gifts with Heart Patch

Gifts with Heart was developed for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council in partnership with Design 1-2-3 and Lowe’s as a fun way to bring people together. With little time and lots of creativity you can make a difference in someone’s life.

Objective

Education through hands-on activities to build a team of people from all cultures to:

• Teach children how they are a gift and how to give a gift
• Create hope
• Promote community involvement
• Support children
• Help create solutions for building a stronger united world
• Instill confidence
• Teach children valuable lessons and crafting skills

Requirements:

Girls should do requirements from more than one section

• Daisy Girl Scouts: 3 requirements
• Brownie Girl Scouts: 5 requirements
• Junior Girl Scouts: 7 requirements
• Girls 11-17: 9 requirements

Gifts come in all shapes and sizes.

1. Talk with your troop about gifts:
   1. You’ve received, you liked and why.
   2. You’ve received, you did not like and why.
   3. You’ve given, that you made and how you felt.
2. How are you a gift?
3. Explore the history of gifts.
4. Brainstorm with your troop gifts you could give to different groups:
   1. Service unit
   2. Neighborhood
   3. School
   4. Faith community
   5. United Way agency
   6. Other

You are someone special too!

Health is our most precious gift. It begins with a healthy heart.
The easiest way to lead a heart-healthy life is to stay active.
Our heart is a muscle we need to condition just as
we would any other muscle.

5. Learn how the heart muscle works.
6. Talk with your troop about:
   1. Indoor activities that keep your heart strong
   2. Outdoor activities that keep your heart strong
7. Eating healthy food ensures a healthy heart. Discuss which foods are:
   1. Healthy choices
   2. Unhealthy choices
8. Discuss what defines an unhealthy lifestyle choice, such as smoking, which can damage your heart. Make a list of unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Handmade Treasures

In our busy world, many gifts are purchased from a store. Early in our history, people had more time and less money and made each other gifts.

9. Explore the world of crafts and learn how to do at least two of the following:
   1. Make a piece of jewelry
   2. Draw and color a picture
   3. Make a bar of soap
   4. Make a candle
   5. Girls’ suggestion
10. Use your creativity and imagination to show people how much you care:
    1. Attend a Gifts with Heart workshop to make a gift for a child.
    2. Attend a Lowe’s Build and Grow clinic and give the project to a special person.
       www.lowes.com – Click on “How To Clinics”
    3. Design and make a gift for a loved one.
11. With your troop, identify a group in need of special gifts:
    1. Make gifts for your selected group.
    2. Plan a special presentation when you give the gifts.
    3. Evaluate your project:
12. What skills did you learn?
13. Were your gifts well received? Why or why not?
14. What would you change and why?
15. What would you repeat and why?
16. Girl Scouting has a cornerstone in service. GSSJC offers service project ideas throughout the year on its Web site, through its publications and at meetings. Included in these are council support service projects:
    1. Leaders Day – April
       Arrange a bouquet of dried flowers for your leader
       Write a note to your troop leader and tell her how much you appreciate her.
    2. Breast Cancer Awareness, Make a heart pillow
    3. Other