Ashburn Girl Scout Cadettes Help LCC Open Holiday Store

The Loudoun County Community Holiday Coalition held the grand opening its Holiday Store Dec. 9, and Ashburn’s Girl Scout Cadette Troop 6723 participating in the opening ceremony by singing a few Christmas carols. Elementary choral teacher Melody Harmon graciously volunteered her time to lead the Girl Scouts.

The troop has been a huge supporter of the Coalition. This year, the girls aided Belmont Country Club with its gift collection. Each neighborhood within Belmont had a “captain” who collected the gifts and brought them to the Belmont Manor club during the neighborhood tree lighting. The results were fantastic. The girls carried the gifts inside the club, and then stored them. Two days later, the troop returned and filled a 12-foot U-Haul with all the donations, and delivered them to the Coalition – 22714 Glenn Drive, Suite 100, in Sterling. Once there, they helped fill carts to transfer the toys into the facility.

Since 1996, the Community Holiday Coalition’s "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" program has helped thousands of Loudoun County families have a wonderful holiday season.

In 2010, the Holiday Store served 1,415 families, and this year they expect to have at least 1,500 families participate. Each year nearly 1,000 volunteers and donors join together to brighten up the holidays for low-income Loudoun County residents.

The Cadette troop consists of 10 sixth grade girls from Belmont Ridge and Farmwell middle schools:

• Kara Palumbo
• Lindsey McDonald
• Alysa McConnell
• Isabella Ventimiglia
• Sonia Chandra
• Nikita Sherif
• Shruthi Svivatsan
• Lauren McCusker
• Ashley Paul
• Linzy Crawford

[Thanks to Janice Palumbo for this article and pictures.]