Congratulations will soon be due to Cornwall’s Emma Vazquez and Alyssa Anderson, both Cornwall Central High School ninth graders and members of Girl Scout Heart of the Hudson Troop 85. The reason? They’re just about to complete work on their Sliver Award, which is the second highest award Girl Scouts can earn.

Only ten percent of Girl Scouts earn the Silver Award – and in order to achieve this award, both girls had to first complete a “journey” which always includes an Action Project. Theirs was a mission to collect funds and goods for Newburgh’s Fearless! Hudson Valley (formerly Safe Homes), as well to get out information about domestic violence.

“We are raising awareness and taking any donations for victims of domestic violence,” the two said from their table at the Cornwall Farmers Market last week. “With the donations we are making transition baskets for victims in shelters who are transitioning into new and safe homes.”

They’ve spent the last several months collecting those items, often manning a table at Cornwall Plaza and other community events. This week they were expecting to deliver those baskets.

What do they want people to know about domestic violence? The statistics are grim:

Every minute, 24 people will be raped, assaulted or stalked by an intimate partner. The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500 percent. On average, 20,000 calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines every day. One in ten women have been raped by an intimate partner in her lifetime. Annually 10 million children will witness domestic violence. One-fourth of dating teens are harassed online or through texts by their partner.

In a brochure they created the girls offer some help:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.org or 1-800-799-7233
Fearless! Hudson Valley: fearlesshv.org or 1-845-562-5340
Oasis – A Haven for Women & Children: oasisnj.org or 1=973-881-8307

Schuylkill Hope Center for Victims of Domestic Violence: schopecenter.org or 1-570-622-6220 or 1-800-282-0634
Hopes Door: hopesdoorny.org or 1-800-438-8700

Emma and Alyssa are not new to asking for the community’s help nor supporting other national charities – as younger scouts they earned the Bronze Award by raising money for Ronald McDonald Houses by collecting soda can tabs.

The two girls, it should be noted, are the last remaining girls in Troop 85, which is led by Alyssa’s mom, Joelle Anderson. Once their Silver Award work is done, they plan to continue in their scouting, working toward earning the highest possible award, the Gold Award. They’re not sure yet what that project will entail.