To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Girl Scouts may choose to complete a community service project. My local service unit asks troops to participate in Valentines for Vets. Girl Scouts are asked to create Valentine’s Day cards for local Veterans. Girl Scouts create cards that thank veterans for their service to our country. To create the cards, simply fold card stock paper and decorate the cards with foam hearts, glitter, and markers. Girl Scouts may write a simple message such as, “Thank you for your service to our country. We love heroes.” (Girl Scout should only include her first name and troop number in the cards.) These cards are submitted to the project chair and she delivers them to a local Veteran’s hospital.

Here are other community service project ideas with Valentine’s Day themes:

1. Create handmade cards and pass them out to the residents of a local nursing home on Valentine’s Day. Do a simple craft with the residents who are able to do them.

2. Make Valentines for a local homeless shelter that houses families. Include a small candy bag and a craft.

3. Make and deliver Valentines to a local orphanage. Collect new teddy bears or small stuffed animals to add to the cards.

4. Volunteer to place decorations for each holiday in the Pediatric wing of a local hospital. Each troop in a service unit could choose other holidays throughout the year. The troop could make decorations appropriate to their chosen holiday, deliver them to the hospital, place them on doors, walls, trays, and hang them in the halls and at nurse’s stations.

5. Place Valentines on the doors of a retirement community. Leave potted flowers on the doorstep.

6. Make cookies, cupcakes, or a cake and decorate Valentines. Then take them to the local Fire Station to thank firefighters for their service.

7. Make cookies, cupcakes, or a cake and decorate Valentines. Then take them to the local Police Station to thank them for their protection.

8. Make handmade Valentines and deliver them to high school teachers. Include some chocolate to help them get through the day. High school teachers rarely get appreciation for their hard work.

9. Adopt a deployed military troop. Send Valentine’s Day-themed care packages with cards thanking them for their service to our country.

10. Make one Valentine and send it in the mail to another troop member. Each Girl Scout will get one “secret” Valentine! Daisy Girl Scouts will earn their Spring Green Petal – Considerate and Caring.