The Avon Foundation is partnering with Oscar-nominated actress and producer/director Salma Hayek on the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program, which will focus on domestic violence education, awareness and prevention, and support for victims.

To help or give your support to stop domestic violence in your area contact your local goverment office and ask to speak with someone working with domestic violence victims or call your local YWCA.  If you live in the Chesterfield Virginia Area and wish to make a donation click on the Carolyn Miller Memorial Fund button to the left for further information.

There are many ways you can help support the Girl Scouts in your community.  During this time of year the most visible and popular venue is the

Annual Girl Scout Cookie Sales. 

Sales starts January 12 - Feburary 13, 2005. 

If you are currently looking to support a Girl Scout troop or interested in puchasing Cookies to support local Troops in the Richmond, Chesterfield, Mechanicsville, Virginia Areas, contact us today at avonguru@fastmail.fm   We'll put you in touch with a troop.

Why Girls Need Girl Scouts

When Girl Scout founder, Juliette Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout troop in 1912, she wanted to give girls an opportunity to serve their communities, explore the outdoors and, if necessary, support themselves.

CEOs. Scientists. Athletes. Artists. Mothers. Leaders. What do so many women of achievement have in common? The Girl Scouts. Nearly two-thirds of today's women leaders in the United States were Girl Scouts and 82% of high-achieving alumnae credit Girl Scouting with playing a positive role in their development.

For almost 100 years, Girl Scouts has been the preeminent organization dedicated solely to helping girls - all girls - be the best they can be. The success of Girl Scouts is the result of an impressive commitment of 980,000 adult Girl Scout members and community leaders, corporations, foundations, non-profits, government agencies, donors and alumni all working together for 2.8 million girls.

Through more than 300 local Girl Scout councils, the opportunity for girls to participate in Girl Scouts reaches every corner of the country. In Girl Scouts, girls discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together. They also develop their full individual potential, relate better to others, develop values to guide them throughout their lives and contribute to the improvement of society.More than Ever, Girls Need Girl Scouts
 
Today's young girls face a far more complex, more challenging world. Girl Scouts has evolved to help them meet the challenge. On issues ranging from teen suicide to drugs, eating disorders to physical abuse, Girl Scouts guides girls at a turning point in their lives with programs that promote physical activity, health and fitness, civic responsibility and community involvement.
 
Stop for a moment and consider these facts…

1. Nearly one quarter of female teens (23%) have fewer than three adults they could go to if they needed help.¹

2. Seventy-four percent of girls 8-12 aspire to a college and graduate school education, but only 19% of girls believe they will be the boss of their own company.²

3. Thirty percent of girls who have gone into public chat rooms have been sexually harassed online, but only 7 percent of those girls say they told their mother or father about the incident immediately.³  

4. Among ninth graders, girls (23%) now consume alcohol and binge drink at rates similar to boys (26%).⁴ 

5. Girls 13 -18 years old think that by far they are the "savviest" computer user in their household (58% of girls), but only 20% of high school students taking advanced placement computer science exams are female.^{3, 5}  

6. Nearly 1 out of every 2 high school boys plays sports while only 1 in 3 girls do.⁶  

7. In 1970, only one out of every 21 girls was obese or overweight; today that figure is one in six.⁷ 

8. One-third (34%) of girls 13-17 are concerned about being forced to do something sexual and more than one quarter (26%) of girls cope with feeling unsafe by using alcohol and drugs.¹

Girl Scouts Offers Solutions and Support for Girls
 
Girl Scouts' cutting-edge program initiatives give girls the skills they need to avoid unhealthy behaviors and make responsible decisions that will help them overcome challenges throughout their lives. In fact, 64% of today's women leaders in the United States (civic, corporate, political, etc.) were Girl Scouts and 82% of high-achieving alumnae believe Girl Scouts influenced their success. In study after study, it's clear that girls involved in Girl Scouts are more likely to lead healthy successful lives as they develop:

• Self competence
• Social skills
• Respect for others
• Feelings of belonging
• Strong values
• Concern for community
• Teamwork
• Leadership

Sources
¹Feeling Safe: What Girls Say, 2003, Girl Scout Research Institute, Girl Scouts of the USA
²Girl Scout Research Institute/Harris Interactive YouthPulse, 2004
³The Net Effect: Girls and New Media, 2002, Girl Scout Research Institute, Girl Scouts of the USA 
⁴Centers for Disease Control, 2002
⁵Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, 1999, National Science Foundation
⁶National Federation of State High School Associations, 2003
⁷National Center for Health Statistics, 2002