Ariel Poteat of Girl Scout Troop 2024 in Caldwell County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that supports the homeless population by providing free resources.
Ariel aimed to expand the availability of necessities for homeless people in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Girl Scout Ambassador partnered with the founder of Vision Productions Inc. (VPI), Billy Wayne, for her project, “Giving Others Love Daily (G.O.L.D),” to help Wayne and his organization acquire more resources to serve the community.
“Homelessness is a worldwide issue, and I wanted to make a difference where I can,” said Poteat, a Girl Scout of 11 years. “I want the unhoused population to know where to go to get what they need.”
She fixed up a room at the VPI headquarters to fill with basic toiletries to ensure the homeless population of Kingsport has access to more necessities in addition to their food bank. She created a process for taking the items and arranged the proper channels for distribution. Using the theater at VPI, she was able to show an educational video and hand out brochures she had created to encourage the community to get involved.
Girls in high school can earn the Girl Scout Gold Award by creating sustainable change on a community or world issue. They address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change and lead a team of people to success. Each Girl Scout must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out their project that benefits the community and has a long-lasting impact.
Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need, and those from the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont (GSCP2P) council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
“I led my team by making a plan and any time there were decisions or questions, people came to me,” said the Gold Award Girl Scout. “I learned I can accomplish more than I thought I could.”
Thousands of Girl Scouts across the country earn the Girl Scout Gold Award each year, which first began in 1916 as the Golden Eaglet. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college and amazing career opportunities. In 2024-2025, 40 GSCP2P Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award.
For more information about local Girl Scouting and leadership
projects like earning a Girl Scout Gold Award, visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org.
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