Over thirty years ago, 15 Girl Scouts volunteered for a weekend painting assignment with Habitat Greensboro. That small project generated an idea that would make a big difference in their community. For their Gold Service Award, the highest award given in Girl Scouting, they decided to build an entire house! It has never been done before – no Scouts (Boy or Girl) had ever accomplished such an ambitious project. It took them over two years of planning, organizing, fundraising, and building. The result was a joyous Home Dedication for a family of five … and the Gold Award for each scout.

The Scouts began planning their monumental project when they were just freshmen in high school, taking two years to plan and fundraising $37,900 to fund the home. Then, on August 7, construction began with the Scouts marshaling all of their resources and calling upon friends and family members to join them in the building process. The tenacious Scouts worked diligently on the house every weekend. In just four short months, the build was complete. On December 11, 1993, the Scouts joined with future homeowners Candy and Norman and their three children, community dignitaries, and Habitat for Humanity International co-founder Linda Fuller to celebrate the home’s dedication.

Troop 227 shared this statement in their dedication invitation: “We have learned much more than the art of hammering a nail. We have learned the true meaning of dedication, hard work, and helping others. We have learned that no dream is impossible!”

In her Gold Award application, Kristin Ball wrote: “Working with Norman and Candy and their children on the house was the greatest value to me. We formed a long-lasting bond as we constructed a dream of theirs, something they had been working nad praying for to improve their lives and the lives of their children. The astonishment in their eyes, joy in their faces, and love in their hearts made all the struggles and difficulties worthwhile and quite successful. Also, the confidence, strength, determination, and new skills that I gained made the project very successful.”

Thirty years later, the Scouts are grown, with families of their own. Many of them no longer live in Greensboro. However, they left a lasting legacy and forever changed the lives of Candy and Norman, who still call the “Gold House” their home.

Troop 227 Scouts: Kristin Ball, Vicky Best, Stephanie Grayson, Rebecca Green, Laurel Hansen, Thayer Harris, Ginger Humphrey, Diane Kirwan, Ellen Little, Lindsay Sikes, Kathryn Taylor, Katie Vanderfleet, Tracy Welch, Leslie Wetzel, and Stephanie Williams. Troop Leaders: Susan Wetzel and Deborah Vanderfleet