ALBANY - Twelve-year-old Girl Scout Serena Parmer of Albany said she struggled to think of how to earn her Silver Award, but after watching news coverage of Hurricane Harvey she knew she wanted to help.
What she didn't know was how much support she would get from surrounding communities, including her own. Parmer has spent the past few weeks collecting donations outside of local businesses for Hurricane Harvey relief in Houston.
"I was excited to actually get to do something to help them," Parmer said.
She collected enough donations to fill a 17-foot U-Haul and raised enough money to take the supplies to Houston.
The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn, according to the organization's website. There's a suggested minimum of 50 hours to complete the project, which the website says should benefit the community or beyond.
Parmer is part of Troop 3253 in Albany and has been involved in Girl Scouts for about seven years.
The biggest lesson Parmer said she learned from her project was how generous people can be. One man donated an entire grocery cart worth of items to the cause. Subway donated large buckets she filled with cleaning supplies, which is what Serena's mother, Julie Parmer, said would be the most beneficial, according to authorities in Texas. Parmer has received help from numerous local businesses, churches, neighbors and other individuals.
Parmer and her mother took the supplies to a warehouse in Houston over the weekend.
"She's not scared of work," said Julie Parmer.
While prepping for the trip to Houston, Parmer stayed up until one in the morning loading the U-Haul and filling 21 buckets with cleaning supplies.
"I was too excited to be exhausted," she said.
What she didn't know was how much support she would get from surrounding communities, including her own. Parmer has spent the past few weeks collecting donations outside of local businesses for Hurricane Harvey relief in Houston.
"I was excited to actually get to do something to help them," Parmer said.
She collected enough donations to fill a 17-foot U-Haul and raised enough money to take the supplies to Houston.
The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn, according to the organization's website. There's a suggested minimum of 50 hours to complete the project, which the website says should benefit the community or beyond.
Parmer is part of Troop 3253 in Albany and has been involved in Girl Scouts for about seven years.
The biggest lesson Parmer said she learned from her project was how generous people can be. One man donated an entire grocery cart worth of items to the cause. Subway donated large buckets she filled with cleaning supplies, which is what Serena's mother, Julie Parmer, said would be the most beneficial, according to authorities in Texas. Parmer has received help from numerous local businesses, churches, neighbors and other individuals.
Parmer and her mother took the supplies to a warehouse in Houston over the weekend.
"She's not scared of work," said Julie Parmer.
While prepping for the trip to Houston, Parmer stayed up until one in the morning loading the U-Haul and filling 21 buckets with cleaning supplies.
"I was too excited to be exhausted," she said.