Championing Young Leaders: One Girl Scout at a Time
One of our core values at Sempra Energy is to champion people — especially when we see an opportunity to invest in young leaders in the communities we serve.
With its main office in Houston, Texas, the Girl Scouts San Jacinto Council (GSSJC) is the second largest Girl Scout council in the nation, serving more than 55,000 girls ages 5-17 and approximately 19,000 adult members. GSSJC is dedicated to preparing the next generation of women leaders, which aligns with our commitment to invest in diversity and inclusion, and is why Sempra LNG donated $40,000 to GSSJC, paired with additional financial support from our employees. These funds will help GSSJC reach at-risk girls — many of whom live in chronically disadvantaged areas — to assist them in overcoming day-to-day challenges and help develop leadership skills.
“We are thrilled to be able to continue to build upon our relationship with Sempra LNG,” said Mary Vitek, CEO of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council. “With all the challenges our world is facing right now, it is more important now than ever to champion female ambition. At Girl Scouts, we help these girls learn how to start raising their hands at ages 5, 6 and 7 — so that they feel comfortable not only raising their hands, but using their leadership skills, at ages 15, 26, 38 … and for many more years to come.”
The COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturn and disruption to school environments are negatively impacting the lives of many girls in low socio‐economic status homes. GSSJC’s Girl Scout Outreach program will help support the girls with the highest need by offering them stability, an opportunity to grow their courage and confidence, and a safe space to discuss their challenges. Outreach is targeted especially to areas where there is a high student population at risk for dropping out of school.
In addition, the Sempra LNG donation will assist GSSJC in its commitment to making Girl Scouting a reality for all girls, regardless of their families’ ability to pay. These dollars will help fund GSSJC’s financial aid program, which covers the cost of membership, program registration fees, and uniform components and badges for girls and families in need. The organization expects the demand for financial aid to increase at least 25% due to the pandemic and its financial and social impact on area communities.
From the boardroom to the caucus room, the need for female leadership has never been more urgent. The Girl Scouts organization has the expertise to give girls and young women the tools they need to feel empowered and assume their rightful role as leaders.
We’re thrilled to support the GSSJC’s work to empower the next generation of women leaders in Southeast Texas.
