According to the Center for Disease Control, three out of 10 American girls will get pregnant at least once before they are 20. Each year about 750,000 teens get pregnant. Approximately 330,000 of those pregnancies end in abortion, 170,000 in miscarriage and 250,000 are carried to term.
To bring to light these alarming statistics and offer ways for teen mothers to get help, Marissa Hart and Jenna Smith decided on raising awareness of teen pregnancy as their Silver Award Project.
“I like babies and I wanted to help teens and young adults find a place to get help,” said Smith, a freshman at Storm King School.
When the two Girl Scouts decided to team up for their project, the first step was to brainstorm options. One idea was to do something with animals, but the girls agreed they wanted to focus on a unique project.
It helped that Hart’s mother knew the director of My Choice Pregnancy Care Center in New Windsor.
“We took it into consideration because we were still figuring it out at that point,” said Hart, a freshman at Cornwall High School. “We were also passionate about that topic – raising awareness and providing help to women in need. We thought it was a really good idea.”
Once the scouts were happy with their choice, they met with their mentor to discuss how many hours they needed to invest, what the project would entail, and the steps needed to complete it. The teens then met with director Barbara Jennings, who talked about her role, what My Choice does, and what types of donations it could use.
The girls researched teen pregnancy and organized a carnival to benefit My Choice. They visited area businesses seeking donations for gift baskets which would be given out to raffle winners. Hart said one of the challenges was being rejected by some managers.
Raffle tickets were sold in front of DeCicco’s and Dunkin’ Donuts ahead of the June event. To attend the carnival, held on the Little League ballfields, guests had to donate an item such as diapers, baby bottles, clothes, or baby wipes. At the end of the day, the event raised over $550 which was used to buy Wal-Mart gift cards for My Choice.
During the event, Smith spoke to attendees about the project, offering national and local statistics. Hart also spoke at her church, Grace Community in Washingtonville. Jennings attended to help answer any questions.
“It was a touchy subject,” Hart said, “but it was necessary. It needed to be shared because the numbers are very high.”
For those teens who decide to be sexually active and end up getting pregnant, Smith said it’s important to inform young mothers of a place they can go for assistance or advice on options other than abortion.
Hart and Smith will receive their Silver Awards during a November ceremony in Poughkeepsie.
