“These are sitting amongst the bushes in front of Wells Fargo. Was this a school/town thing? Or has someone taken it upon themselves to gift us a little sunshine for dreary days such as today? They definitely made me smile!” Facebook post to Wilton 411.
GOOD Morning Wilton spoke to Kathryn Johnson, Renee Rafferty, and Denise Worst–co-leaders of Girl Scout Troop #50793–for some inside scoop on these treasures (i.e. colorfully painted rocks with uplifting messages) scattered throughout town that are brightening residents’ days.
A major part of the Girl Scout experience is completing a Girl Scout Journey. Teaming together and in the spirit of making a difference in the world, the girls identify a problem they want to do something about; come up with a creative solution that will make a difference; create a team plan to make that solution a reality; and put the plan into action.
Girl Scout Troop #50793 was finishing up their Agent of Change journey, which emphasizes exploring one’s own talents while discovering the benefits of teamwork to improve their local community. As the year was coming to an end, the girl scouts needed to come up with an action project in order to complete the journey.
Worst and her twin daughters were walking down Main St. in Ridgefield and spotted beautifully painted rocks outside store windows and on storefront doorsteps.
“Reading all of the uplifting words on the beautifully painted rocks made us happy,” she recalls. “I thought this could be a great idea for our troop to do in Wilton town center.”
Worst started googling “painted rock” ideas and that’s when she came across the Kindness Rocks Project, the mission of which is, “One message at just the right moment can change someone’s entire day, outlook, life.”
The Kindness Rocks project seemed perfectly aligned with the focus of the Agent of Change Journey, so Worst took the idea to the troop, which voted and agreed to pursue this project and place their rocks throughout Wilton Center.
“Our girls went to work collecting rocks from their backyards and driveways. Then they painted them and put slogans on them and on May 8, we went into town and placed them throughout town, such as in front of stores, by the gazebo, and by the library,” says Johnson.
Public reaction was immediate. Many residents took to Facebook and commented on how spotting these rocks was such fun and served to lift their spirits.
“The girls had so much fun with this project,” Johnson says. “It was fabulous for them to see how a small action–painting and distributing these kindness rocks–could have such a positive impact on others.”
Girl Scouts (in main image, L-R), standing–Alexandra Furman, Sydney Leinberger, Caroline Worst, Grace Jeanes, and Ellery Worst; kneeling–Grace Johnson, Kerry Dodman, Meira Flavin, and Charlotte Dinapoli.
Not pictured: Clara Fleckenstein, Mia Decore, Keira Rafferty, and Anna Reiter.