(Seguin) — A local Girl Scout’s volunteerism and leadership skills are being recognized nationally. Jim Barnes 7th grader Eleanor Crettenden has received the Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award for completing over 100 hours of community service in one year.
The national award comes from the White House and includes a pin and letter from U.S President Joe Biden. The award also acknowledges Crettenden for her efforts to give back to her community. Now while anyone is eligible for the volunteer service award, it was her local Girl Scouts Troop that nominated her for the honor.
Denise Crettenden, who not only happens to be Eleanor’s mother but also the chair for Girl Scouts Community Y, says the local group was honored to be the certifying organization for the 13-year-old’s commitment to her community.
After all, she says a large number of those 110 volunteer hours were accumulated as a Girl Scout.
“A lot of her volunteer hours came from Girl Scouts and then she got some through volunteering at church and doing extra after-hour volunteering at school, a variety of places, the Christian Cupboard. So, she had a big variety of hours on her hour form,” said Crettenden.
The volunteerism award was founded in 2003 by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. The effort is a way to recognize “the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity.”
Due to COVID-19, the local Girl Scouts also had to postpone the public acknowledgement of another award. This local award is for the Volunteer of Excellence Award and is being presented again by the Girl Scouts Community Y which includes troops in Seguin, Navarro and part’s of Gonzales County.
Honored with the award is Inez Franco. Crettenden says Franco is being recognized for her work with not only her own troop but all girls in Community Y as its community activity coordinator.
“She’s been a Girl Scout parent for a longtime and then a troop leader and this past year, we needed someone to set up and be the activity coordinator and that’s a big job. It’s coordinating all the events that we do in Girl Scouts and she stepped right up and got right in and did some wonderful events for us and it’s a big job. I think it was a little outside her comfort zone. It’s a big thing to take on so we really appreciated it and she did a good job,” said Crettenden.
In this position, Crettenden says Franco has successfully held multiple events from science to history and has helped girls participate in a number of community events.
Both Eleanor and Franco were on hand recently to receive their awards at the local Girl Scouts House located on Humphreys Street.