Girl Power!

The girls of Harbor View are brought together through a shared desire to stand up to some nasty bullies that are targeting them and wreaking havoc on their neighborhood. Through this common purpose, friendship blossoms and the girls realize that they can do much more together than they can alone!

Once they experience what the power of a few can do, the girls adopt the guiding motto; Love Your Neighbor As Yourself, and set out to share their goal of making the world a better place through faith and friendship!

Here Are a Few Examples

Creativity, thoughtfulness, and positivity are essential ingredients when starting a new endeavor. Having some supportive adults and tapping into the power of prayer helps too! Here are some of the ways Morgan, Amy, Carlie, Emily (and Chelsea too!) use their friendships and their faith to better their neighborhood and to honor their neighbors.

Jingle All The Way

All the way to the bank that is! When hurting for cash for a fix-up project, the Harbor View crew decides to collect pop cans and bottles as an easy way to fund the supplies that they need. After hearing of their goals for the can and bottle return money, neighbors were happy to donate their own recyclables to the cause.

Get Diggin’

An inexpensive fix for helping to spruce up outdoor spaces- like parks and flower beds along roads- is to transplant plants straight from nature. Contact your local Forest Service department to see what the rules are in your area. Carlie’s dad helps the girls learn that after getting a permit, they can each take a certain number of plants for free! Always get permission before you take anything from any forest. There may be trees and plants that are endangered or specially protected and remember- the goal is to help (not hurt) nature.

Spray, Play & Pay

What could be more fun than shooting each other with hoses, having soapy water fights, AND making money for a good cause at the same time! The Harbor View girls’ car wash gets a little too wet (see Project: Take Charge) but on a sunny day, car washes are a fantastic way to offer a service and cash in on the rewards.

Take a Shortcut

It’s been said that the fastest way to the heart is through the stomach SO maybe the fastest way to raise money for a cause is through the tummy too! Amy cooks huge batches of her family’s favorite cookies to sell at a bake sale towards the preservation of McPhearson Park. Cookies, lemonade- maybe even a spaghetti dinner- can get mouths watering and wallets opening in support of your cause as well!

Get Crafty

Turn your talents and creativity into helpful moolah by adding crafts and projects to your fundraising efforts. People love homemade gifts because they are unique and show time and care that is different from something mass-produced from a store. Following Morgan’s lead, her friends learn to make projects out of beads that they then share and sell.

Surprise!

Morgan’s friends give her a surprise to remember when she turns thirteen making her feel like her “prayers and wishes were coming true.” You could make somebody feel that special by creating a surprise of your own. Maybe it’s a nice thank you letter slipped in a locker or mailbox, cleaning up the kitchen when no one in your family is looking or popping in to help a sick friend or neighbor. A surprise party is an excellent gift, but surprises can come in all shapes and sizes and from the most unexpected places (the Harbor View neighbors were delighted when an anonymous donor had pizzas delivered for their clean-up crew!).

Snip It and Share It

When Carlie finally gets the nerve (and the permission) to shorten the length of her distinctive curly locks she decides to donate those gorgeous strands to Locks of Love (visit our "Make a Difference" page for more info), an organization that uses real hair to create natural looking wigs for people who are going through cancer treatments or have other conditions that cause them to lose their own hair. Of course any kid needs to have permission for such a big decision but a lot of children are donating. Locks of Love estimates that 80% of their donations are from kids!

When you want to fight...WRITE!

Did you ever hear that the pen is mightier than the sword? This proves to be true as the girls follow Emily’s lead in a letter writing crusade to save a beloved local park. Letters to the editor in the newspaper are an excellent way to speak out and to get your voice and perspective heard!

Smock It Up

A paint smock might not be your dream outfit, but a coat of paint sure can provide a simple, stunning makeover! The Harbor View girls believe in the magic of paint as they fix up the Harbor View entrance, remodel their Rainbow Bus and work to restore old McPhearson Park!