AUGUST 2026
Believe in Her
Impact & Updates for Supporters
Page 1 | August 2026
A note from our Girl Scout sister, Dee Orendorf
I grew up in Girl Scouts with a mom who was a Neighborhood Chair (those titles just keep changing!) as well as a troop leader. Camp was my very favorite place in the whole world. I was selected for a Wider-Op as a Girl Scout Senior, where I worked at an overnight camp for girls with disabilities. That experience helped determine my lifelong career as a physical therapist. I last got together with my Senior troop a few years ago for a 50year celebration. When our daughter turned seven, my husband said, “You’re going to be the leader, right?”
That was the beginning of my adult career in Girl Scouts 42 years ago, which makes me a Girl Scout for 53 years… What a great ride!! I took that first troop from 2nd grade through 12th grade (there were no Daisies then!) and then co-led a middle school troop through their high school graduation with a wonderful single woman who loves Girl Scouting too. Along the way, I served on numerous committees, had the fantastic opportunity to take Senior girls on a Wider-Op to Our Cabana, and now serve as Area Chair for Area 13. Through all those years and activities, it has been my true pleasure to give girls opportunities and teach them how to embrace those opportunities to grow… grow in confidence, skills, and character. Now I work with adults more than girls, but what am I really do? Helping those adults help girls grow in confidence, skills, character, and courage to carry with them into their adult lives. I had camp, programming, and
the opportunity to attend my Wider-Op because people donated their time and money to Girl Scouts. We should take every opportunity we have to donate hours, donate money, and donate the much-needed items that help these girls grow. Any donation you can make provides programming, camps, training for volunteers, and more. The result is opportunities for girls to grow in a safe and nurturing environment. They will become future leaders, moms, business executives, scientists, and so much more. Please continue to consider donating whatever you can so that these opportunities remain available to all girls who want to participate. — Dee Orendorf Area 13 Chair
Powering Girls’ Potential With support from our generous donors like you, we're removing barriers and providing more financial assistance for memberships, camp opportunities, fun programming, and so much more. Thank you for helping build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
Providing Membership Financial Assistance (2026, as of August 3)
Camp & Outdoor Leadership Scholarships
Friends of Camp (2026, as of August 3)
(2026, as of August 3)
friends
$25,768 for 798 adults
$171,169 in support $145,401 for 2,187 girls
$48,670 supporting 227 girls
of camp
Goal: $50,000 Support Friends of Camp
So far: $33,474 Pledge commitments: $12,849 Anticipated Giving Tuesday/Camp Reservation Dollars: $23,264 Total: $69,587
Invest in Girls. Change the World.
October 24-25, 2026 | Louisville Waterfront Park
Artists Wanted Sponsors Needed Help transform the streets with color, all while supporting local Girl Scouts.
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www.ViaColoriKentucky.com
Create Your Legacy with a Planned Gift The first planned gift in the Girl Scout Movement came from our founder, Juliette Gordon Low. After converting the carriage house of her home into the first Girl Scout national headquarters, she gifted the property to Girl Scouts in her will. Become a member of the Juliette Gordon Low Society and carry on her legacy by making Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana a beneficiary of your estate plans.
Salute our National Girl Delegates, Mady and Penelope! GSK celebrates the wonderful leadership shown by our council’s two girl delegates who represented our council in July at the 58th National Council Session (NCS) in Washington, D.C. Penelope Gibes is an 11th grade Ambassador from La Grange, KY. Mady Spires is a 10th grade Senior from Floyds Knobs, IN. At this gathering of more than 10,000 Girl Scouts and supporters, Penelope and Mady served as official voting delegates to the convention. Prior to this week’s gathering, they engaged and gathered feedback from Girl Scout members in our council, prepared and learned about proposals, and traveled to D.C. as members of the council’s delegation of 10 representatives. During the NCS, they acted as the voice of Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, and both girls stepped up to the mic and spoke to the full body during debates, discussions, and voting on proposals.
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The NCS is democracy in action. It takes place every three years. Girl delegates apply to represent our council for a 3-year term. They must be members of GSK, at least 14 years old, and are selected by the Board Development Committee.
Contact Us
Tonya Schweitzer Chief Development Officer TSchweitzer@gskentuckiana.org
Dusty Siravo Senior Manager of Development DSiravo@gskentuckiana.org