- Brooklyn Guenther, an 11-year-old Girl Scout, is making gift baskets for seniors for the second year in a row.
- Her gift baskets were a success last year, and she is looking to give out even more this holiday season as part of her Silver Award project.
- Video shows Brooklyn talking more about the project.
What started as a way to help give local seniors a happy holiday has turned into a tradition for an Okemos Girl Scout.
"It makes me feel really good to see someone else really happy," Brooklyn Guenther said.
There are plenty of gifts under her Christmas tree, but they're not for her. She's been taking donations from the community to give holiday gift baskets to seniors at Independence Village of East Lansing.
"We went to the Independence Village of East Lansing just to sell cookies," Brooklyn said. "And then we would go there for bingo."
"My mom talked to the activities director. She was just like 'why don't you give a Christmas to seniors?'"
Brooklyn says last year's project was a success.
"We gave a Christmas to 25 seniors last year," she said. "And my favorite part was actually putting the baskets together. So separating out each item into the 25 baskets."
Brooklyn's project left a lasting impression on the seniors.
"One resident in particular started crying and said 'oh my gosh, I didn't think I was going to get anything for Christmas,'" Maggie Quinn, the Executive Director of Independence Village of East Lansing, said. "And that really sums it up right there. The fact that sometimes seniors feel left out or forgotten, knowing someone out there is thinking about them means the world."
Brooklyn is looking to give baskets to 30 seniors this year. Her mom has set up an Amazon Wishlist. Items purchased through the Wishlist will get sent directly to their family to be put into this year's baskets.
You can also drop off items at the Okemos, East Laning and Delta Township Baskin-Robbins locations until December 20.
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