They say Girl Scouting is for everyone, but six years ago Carla
Dore found out it was much easier for most than it would be for her
daughter Amanda.
Hollister – They say Girl Scouting is for everyone, but six years ago Carla Dore found out it was much easier for most than it would be for her daughter Amanda.
The developmentally disabled Amanda decided she wanted to join the organization at the age of 13, but Dore couldn’t find a group to take her in. When Dore finally did find a troop that would welcome her daughter, it was full of girls half Amanda’s age. But Dore, who moved to Hollister from San Jose seven years ago, stuck by Amanda’s side, becoming a troop leader and staying on for the next three years until Amanda left the group.
“I was a Girl Scout when I was younger, and I remember liking the camping and all the activities we did,” Dore said. “Now I like being involved with all these girls’ lives and hoping that I’m making a difference and showing them that girls can do anything.”
Now working from home as a travel agent, Dore is in her sixth year as a troop leader and is working with her younger daughter Athena’s troop of 12 girls.
Athena, now a fourth-grader at Sunnyslope School, decided to join when she was in kindergarten. In the four years since, Dore has been taking the troop on camping trips to Bonfante Gardens, helping with charity fund raisers and coordinating nut and magazine sales for all 29 Girl Scout troops in San Benito County.
“Every Christmas and Thanksgiving we donate pies to Sacred Heart; we’re in the Lights On Parade every year. One year we donated a bunch of dog food and blankets to Pet Friends, and we donate bags to Community Pantry,” Dore said, while in the background Athena squealed to her not to forget the troop’s spaghetti feed.
“They’re starting to learn girls can do anything they want,” said Dore.
Local Stories focuses on the people who love living and working in San Benito County. Subjects are chosen at random by the Free Lance staff and published every Wednesday.
