LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) — Troop 2582 is the only Girl Scout troop in Kentucky exclusively for girls with disabilities. Now in its fourth year, the troop is selling cookies to fund its entire annual program — and a trip to King’s Island.
A troop born from one girl’s idea
The troop was founded on the idea of a 7-year-old girl named Luciana Faraci, who uses a wheelchair. “She said, ‘Mommy, if people see me and I’m in a wheelchair, they need to know that there’s a troop for them. I want a troop just for disabled girls,’” said Stacy Faraci, Luciana’s mother and Troop 2582’s leader.
The troop now has 15 members. “We serve girls with mild to severe disabilities, the whole gamut,” Stacy Faraci said. “We have girls in wheelchairs, girls with vision issues, developmental disabilities, the whole range.”
Monthly meetings, badges and growing confidence
The scouts meet monthly, learning new skills, earning badges and participating in activities including horseback riding and day camps. Stacy Faraci said the environment has produced notable growth in some members.
“We had a girl who’s been with us since the beginning and she’s very timid and didn’t like to speak or be involved — just very introverted,” she said. “A few months ago, she approached me and wanted to plan a meeting herself. And she did it and did a wonderful job.”
Cookie sales fund everything
Troop 2582 operates without asking parents for financial contributions. “We are a completely self-sustaining troop, which means that our cookie sales are 100% of what we use all year and we never ask parents for anything,” Stacy Faraci said. “So, in order to do all of our things, we need to sell cookies.”…