Emily Kropfl

“I wanted to be an advocate for justice and a promoter of self-awareness,” Girl Scout Emily Kropfl said recently. “One person, with the community’s help, can help a cause bigger than themselves.”

Kropfl is finishing up her project, “Surroundings that Inspire,” for the Girl Scout Gold Award. She renovated multiple rooms in the House of Bread and Peace, a women’s shelter in Evansville, and created a memory book for the shelter.

“A Girl Scout Gold Award Project is a project a girl must initiate,” Kropfl explained. “My project addressed homeless women and children with low self-esteem due to their situations.”

Kropfl regularly volunteers at the soup kitchen at Sts. Mary and John Parish, which is held at St. John the Apostle Church. Through her experience at the soup kitchen, she considered leading a project related to homelessness. “I interviewed the director of the House of Bread and Peace, and decided to renovate the shelter,” Kropfl said. “After seeing that the shelter was neglected and under-appreciated, I knew I couldn’t ignore it or forget about it. I wanted to renovate these deteriorated living spaces in hopes that the residents would feel proud of their rooms, and in turn have higher self-esteem.”

Kropfl explained the challenge she faced as she began the project: “The shelter has 12 bedrooms, along with its common-area living spaces. None of the bedrooms had doors on their closets because they had been used roughly. The residents have little sense of privacy.”

With the help of her family, friends, and community, Kropfl gathered the necessary resources and assistance to begin the project in May 2014. “I picked the three worst bedrooms in the house and completely restored them. Over the course of about six days, we spackled holes in the walls, repainted the walls, and hung curtains on the windows and closets. We also purchased bedspreads that matched the walls and curtains. After the three bedrooms were renovated, we took an additional day to hang curtains over each closet of the remaining rooms.”
           

After the renovations, Kropfl distributed surveys to the rooms’ residents. “The surveys showed that my project was successful because the renovations have inspired people to work towards the same standards for their future, and have affirmed values of self worth and appreciation.”

In addition to her work in the rooms, Kropfl began a memory book. “The memory book sits at the welcome desk in the front room,” Kropfl said. “Each resident can write in it as they move out of the shelter. They can leave personal stories, success stories, words of encouragement, or thank yous in the book. The women can encourage future members of the house, and leave their mark and legacy on the house. The memory book will serve as a constant and lasting reminder that life moves on, and that they will get through hard times.”

As she nears the end of her project, Kropfl is sharing the good news. “I want to bring awareness to my project, as an example for others, and to show the community how easy it is to find solutions to local problems. The possibilities for improvement and betterment of individuals’ lives are endless.”

Girl Scout Gold Awards are not given for just one act of service, Kropfl explained. “They must have a lasting effect on the community and be self sustaining. Mine will continue to influence women who will go out in the world and influence others, and the book will stand as a lasting remembrance.”

“Homelessness knows no boundaries: it can affect anyone,” Kropfl added. “And one person's involvement can create ripple effects throughout many lives. It is my hope that others will also reach out to the community to make a difference.”