Scarsdale/Edgemont Girl Scouts to Raise $25,000 for Betty Taubert Girl Scout House

Jennifer Donohue, from the Girl Scouts Heart of Hudson, shared the following letter:

The Scarsdale/Edgemont Girl Scout community is working to raise $25,000 for capital improvements to the Betty Taubert Girl Scout House on Wayside Lane. The Village of Scarsdale received a NYS Community Development Block Grant of $120,000 that is to be matched through contributions from the Scarsdale/Edgemont Girl Scout (SEGS) Service Unit, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Inc. (GSHH), and the Village of Scarsdale (the Village).

The Betty’s House Campaign is chaired by adult members of the Scarsdale/Edgemont Girl Scouts, Donna Marie Caro, and BK Munguia. To date, the campaign has raised nearly $8,000, and SEGS is reaching out to the community to help raise the additional $17,000. The funds will go toward a number of repairs at the Betty Taubert Girl Scout house, including adding an air-handling ventilation system and air purification units, installing a new roof, replacing the exterior doors and windows, as well as upgrades to the kitchens, flooring and HVAC system.

There has been a Girl Scouts House in Scarsdale for over 80 years. The Betty Taubert Girl Scout House has stood for over forty years after being rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original house. The grant, and matching funds raised, will help ensure that Girl Scouts in the Scarsdale/Edgemont community, a service unit of Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, will continue to have a dedicated place to hold troop meetings, community activities, and continue programs that help girls develop friendships, discover hidden talents, and become the leaders of tomorrow. A number of other community groups use the building as well.

One Cadette (Grade 6-8) Girl Scout said: “Betty’s Girl Scout House is important to me. Some of my favorite Girl Scout memories have taken place there – where we’ve celebrated with other Girl Scouts. Since I was a Daisy in kindergarten, the house is where we’ve held Halloween parties, holiday parties, sleepovers, bridging ceremonies and more. It’s been a great place to meet with younger scouts to teach them what we’ve learned as older scouts. I want it to be here for many years for more Scouts to come.”

Donations can be made online at www.girlscoutshh.org/BettysHouse. Contact Kari Willis, GSHH Chief Philanthropy Officer at kwillis@girlscoutshh.org or 845-236-6002 ext. 748 with any questions.

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson (GSHH) serves over 14,000 girls and 8,000 adult members throughout Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. At GSHH, they are part of a community of girls and women looking to serve the community through individual and group service projects as they discover new skills and interests and experience new challenges. GSHH offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.