A Marshfield-area Girl Scout troop is stocking the shelves for young hospital patients, donating books to the book vending machine at Marshfield Children's Hospital.
Troop 6136, made up of third-grade Brownies and fourth-grade Juniors, donated 20 books to the machine, giving children at the hospital a chance to find a new story and a brief escape through reading.
The project was inspired by Dolly Parton and her long-running work to put books in children's hands. The girls considered several ideas and voted to buy books for the hospital's vending machine.
Each troop member chose a book she thought another child would enjoy, and the troop bought two copies of each pick. The selections covered a range of reading levels, from the Elephant and Piggie series to Percy Jackson.
While delivering the donation, the girls watched a child use the vending machine to choose a book. Troop leaders Ashley VanDreel and Miranda Schroeder said the girls thought it was the neatest thing and were excited knowing a child will one day enjoy one of their books.
The book donation is one of many service projects for Troop 6136, whose members choose two projects each year. Past efforts include collecting stuffed animals for the Ronald McDonald House, making tie blankets for the Marshfield Area Pet Shelter, putting together birthday tins for local food pantries, making holiday cards for seniors and volunteering with Feed My Starving Children.
