Adams arranged fitness classes and donated exercise equipment for Good Counsel Homes, a homeless shelter for pregnant women.
Staying active is a big part of life for Girl Scout Christine Adams.
In addition to generally keeping in shape, the 17-year-old Mt. Laurel resident is captain of her varsity cross country team at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School and a member of the track team.
So when it came time to choose a service project for her Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts, helping others stay fit seemed like a natural choice.
To earn her Gold Award, Adams had to think of a project that would reach beyond the Girl Scouts to benefit her local community. She chose to provide fitness classes and exercise equipment to Good Counsel Homes, a homeless shelter for pregnant women and their children.
July was “Fitness Month” in South Jersey, and Adams arranged it so several fitness experts in the area would teach a series of classes for mothers at the shelter while Adams’ fellow Girl Scouts provided childcare.
Adams said she first learned of Good Counsel Homes when she started volunteering there as part of a community service requirement at Bishop Eustace, and eventually her volunteer work went beyond was needed by her school.
“You get attached to the kids, and I was spending a lot of time there,” Adams said. “Eventually, it became more time than what was required of me.”
While volunteering at Good Counsel, Adams saw other classes at the shelter to teach the mothers skills such as sewing or knitting, but she didn’t see anything related to physical fitness and health.
“With the mothers and their busy schedules, they have enough stress as it is living in the homeless shelter, so being a cross country and track runner, I decided to help them,” Adams said.
Adams worked to develop a six-week program where Good Counsel mothers could learn exercises to incorporate into their busy lives.
Adams recruited instructors from organizations such as Strive PT, The YMCA, Lourdes Health System, Kennedy Health System and Virtua Center for Fitness, and she also reached out to local businesses to provide the shelter with fitness equipment such as an exercise bike, yoga mats, exercise ball, weights, jump rope, water bottles and exercise bands.
With the knowledge the mothers gained from the classes, and with the equipment permanently at Good Counsel, Adams said the project will continue to provide help to those at the shelter well into the future.
“It was a stress reliever and they had fun,” Adams said.
In addition to achieving her Gold Award, Adams also received the President’s Volunteer Service award, and to commemorate her Gold Award, a flag will be flown over the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 19.
Adams described her time in Girl Scouts as a way to make unforgettable friends and memories, and said Girl Scouts allows her and others to spend with different communities with which she wouldn’t otherwise normally interact.
“You get to do unique service projects with unique people and it’s all very rewarding,” Adams said.
