Located at the Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center is the Backyard, a four-acre green space with limitless potential. As a 2024 Impact San Antonio Support Grant recipient, their vision is to develop the Backyard into a multi-purpose space for use by Girl Scouts and the greater San Antonio community.
Q&A with Angie Salinas, CEO, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas
Tell us about the need for a Backyard for All Girls.
Due to barriers out of their control, many girls lack the resources or support networks needed to fully experience the outdoors. Girl Scouts is uniquely positioned to help girls improve their physical and mental wellness while exploring the outdoors.
However, attending a camp can present a challenge for young Girl Scouts not ready to leave home for an extended period. Getting girls prepared for this experience takes time and begins closer to home. The Backyard will provide the perfect setting for girls to experience independence and develop the skills to become confident in the outdoors.
How is this helping the Girl Scouts and all girls?
The Backyard provides a unique setting for Girl Scouts to offer a progressive program tailored to girls of all ages. Girl Scouts serves some of the most vulnerable girls in our community. Completion of the Backyard will enhance our services and welcome girls for field trips to experience the outdoors, many for the first time. These types of experiences are crucial as there is a significant cultural barrier in the community we serve in relation to parents allowing their girls to attend overnight camps.
What is coming up that you want to tell Impact San Antonio members about?
Girl Scouts is always working to build our membership. Our vision is to reach as many girls as possible throughout the twenty-one counties we serve so they can receive all the benefits the Girl Scout Leadership Experience has to offer.
Our team is busy planning our three major fundraising events including our Golf Tournament on March 24, Lotería para Líderes, a Fiesta San Antonio Official Event, on April 26, and the Trefoil Luncheon to be scheduled in late-September. We welcome all members of Impact San Antonio to these events and invite you to visit our website for details.
How do you feel about Impact San Antonio and what they do for our community?
The work Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas does would not be possible without strong community support like that from Impact San Antonio. To see the women of Impact San Antonio come together for the greater good of our community is inspirational to us all, and aspirational for the Girl Scouts we serve as they grow to become future philanthropists.
