Girls Inc. inspires young lives

It's known as a haven for girls in high-risk, under-served areas, a place that inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold, and it's helping girls in Monroe County realize their potential.\nThe program is Girls Inc., a non-profit organization for ladies whose mission is to inspire girls ages 6 to 18, and members are trying to reach out to the community.\n"My daughter loves coming here. She begs to come here," said Stephanie Warthan, who is on the committee of the program. "I know she is taken care of here."\nKathleen Plucker, co-president of Girls Inc., attended an all-girls school from kindergarten through 12th grade and said an all-girl environment was a helpful learning environment. \n"It is incredibly beneficial and incredibly positive. The programs build younger girls up and make older girls leaders," Plucker said. "We're hoping to let people know of our services. We'd like to increase membership and reach into the community."\nPlucker said the group is trying to get IU students into the program.\n"We're not a huge powerhouse," Plucker said. "We have difficulty finding people (to volunteer)."\nLast year Girls Inc. had a dress sale through the greek system to help raise awareness on campus. They also paired with Team Athena for the Little 500. Riders shared their experiences, and the girls cheered on the team at the Little 500 race. \nThis weekend the girls will be fundraising at the Third and High Festival of the Arts from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 2224 E. Third St. They will be selling items such as candles, baked goods and pins the girls made themselves. \n"We are very much committed to its mission, and what we do." said Dorothy Granger, the executive director of Girls Inc. "We are determined to close the gender gap and raise girls' self-confidence."\nRachel Schnabel is an eighth-grader who has been involved in Girls Inc. for three years. She said she likes to read and gets involved with Girls Inc.'s Reading Renegades program, where the girls discuss books they've all read. She was also voted one of last year's Girls of the Year, meaning she possesses leadership qualities, helps others and often participates in the organization's programs.\nSchnabel said that some of the money they make from fundraising goes toward field trips for the girls to take. Last year, Girls Inc. of Bloomington went to Dallas to tour the Women's History Museum. The girls also visited two Texas chapters of Girls Inc. \n"We don't have as many girls as they do," Schnabel said. "We went to Dallas with 40 girls, and down there the average number of girls was 200 to 300 a day."\nGirls Inc. currently has 600 members, however only an average of 40 to 50 girls regularly attend after-school programs. \nGirls Inc. was first started in 1945, but began in Bloomington in 1975. Located at 1108 W. Eighth St., the programs at Girls Inc. focus on leadership and education, but there is a broad range of activities to do within each program. Girls involved can learn to crochet, cook, play sports, build model rockets and learn self-defense. They can even learn aviation skills and fly in an airplane with their instructor.\nFor more information about Girls Inc., or for information about becoming a volunteer for Girls Inc., contact Dorothy Granger at dgranger.monroe@girls-inc.org