Autumn Harper, of Whitehall, has been keeping busy this summer with Cadette Troop 6038. She is working toward her Silver Award, and her project benefits others, specifically children in hospitals.

Troop 6038 is part of River’s Edge Service Unit, which encompasses both Whitehall Township and Catasauqua Borough.

“Our service unit [includes] both (Whitehall and Catasauqua), so we welcome girls from either,” said Jen Harper, Troop 6038 leader.

Autumn said, “I chose to make comfort kits for children in the hospital because I imagine that they are probably very anxious and bored. I’ve read that good mental health helps with good physical health and recovery, so my idea is to give children kits that help them be happier and less anxious.”

Autumn is an incoming seventh-grade student for the 2020-21 academic year. She will be in either Whitehall-Coplay School District’s at-home learning program or with Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School.

Upon finding out Lehigh Valley Hospital Network is not accepting donations for Reilly Children’s Hospital right now, Autumn and her mom looked elsewhere. A friend of her mom said Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will take them for its Mended Little Hearts program. The hospital will give the comfort kits to children in the cardiac ward. Autumn hopes they will also go to any pediatric patient child. She said she is working on that part.

St. Christopher’s Hospital, also in Philadelphia, was suggested as another source for comfort kit donations.

As of press time, Autumn hadn’t yet set a date to donate. She said she wants to reach as close to her goal as possible.

This project, Autumn related, is an extension of Scouting’s Bronze Award. To earn that, she collected more than 500 pounds of used crayons for The Crayon Initiative.

“[The initiative] makes those crayons into new crayons specifically designed for kids in the hospital. I really like to focus on helping children in the hospital, even though I’ve never been in the hospital myself. I just think it’d be a scary place to be.”

The Silver Award is significant because it is the highest award for a Cadette, which is the level for sixth- through eighth-grade students. Cadettes finish a 50-hour Take Action Project, then receive this award.

“It gives you the chance to do big things and make your community better in the process. I was told that about 10 percent of Cadettes complete and receive their Silver Award,” Autumn said.

These required 50 hours also include 10 hours of leading a team of peers. Additionally, Autumn took classes this summer through TechGirlz and learned the basics of creating websites and graphic design. She made her own logo and will be designing a website of easy craft ideas for children in a hospital.

“Since some of the stuff I had planned to do isn’t possible anymore due to COVID-19, I had to find new ways to get in my 50 project hours,” Autumn said. “When my project was approved, my plan was to lead my team and have speakers during part of our weekly Girl Scout meetings. Now we have to meet via Zoom. It’s not as much fun, but we can still complete the work. I’ve just had to change it up a little.

“When I planned what to include in my kits, I thought about things that would help kids express their emotions, reduce anxiety and give them fun things to do,” Autumn said.

Inside the comfort kits are reading books, coloring books, crayons/colored pencils, crafts, Play-Doh, card games, Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars and dolls. The items are put in large resealable bags. Each bag also has a logo Autumn designed, along with the age category the bag is best for - preschool, elementary, tween and teen.

Autumn said she began thinking about this project a year ago. She and her brother organized a lemonade stand in their yard to raise money for Ronald McDonald House. She learned of Jared Boxes, conducted research and found out they go to kids in hospitals.

“I decided that I’d do my own version, called comfort kits, as my award project,” Autumn said. “I attended a Silver Awards information session, held by Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania in January. I learned about what I needed to do to get my project approved. I had to do a lot of research, planning and budgeting in order to submit my proposal. GSEP approved my award project in the spring.”

Autumn has a goal of putting together 100 comfort kits. To raise money for the materials, Autumn had planned bake sales, yard sales and lemonade stands with her team in order to raise $600 for the project. With COVID-19, this is no longer possible.

“I was able to raise $150 before the pandemic, and I’ve had a few people who have donated items or money to help my project,” Autumn said. “Right now, I have enough to put a few items in about 50 bags, but I don’t have enough yet to include the six items in each like I was planning to do.

“I’m trying to think of some new ways to fundraise, so I can achieve my goal of 100 bags, each with about six items,” Autumn added.

Autumn said she hopes the children who receive her comfort kits will feel excited and that the kits help decrease their anxieties.

“I feel lucky to be able to do this for others,” Autumn said. “Girl Scouts teaches us to look for ways we can make the world a better place, and I’m hoping I do that through my award project.

“Girl Scouts has helped me develop leadership skills while doing fun things. I hope that others see that Girl Scouts make a difference and sign up their daughters,” Autumn added.

If anyone would like to donate to Autumn’s project, email troop6038leader@gmail.com for a PayPal address or a list of items still needed for the kits.

For more information on Girl Scouts, visit gsep.org. If you live in Whitehall or Catasauqua, email su715registrar@gmail.com for information on the local troop.