BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Teen Challenge has brand new beds thanks to Destiny Serna.
"A lot of the time they come with nothing and so even having one clean sheet to sleep [with] means a lot to them," said Destiny.
When a Girl Scout reaches high school, she has the opportunity to do the Gold Award. It’s the highest award a Girl Scout can get and Destiny is in the final stages of earning hers.
“So it's a lot of making sure you do your research and everything. So with this project helping the community, you want to make a sustainable project that will last more than three years for them," she said.
Destiny wanted to use her project to give the Teen Challenge center new beds. Her uncle was a formal member of Teen Challenge, recovering from addiction thanks to their program. His experience inspired Destiny to help others like him.
“They come over with nothing in their bag and hoping that [they're] going to take them in and help them," said Destiny. “So I think it’s very helpful for them to understand that [they're] not neglected because I feel like sometimes society neglects these people that really do need help so I thought giving them beds will give them, you know, a fresh new start."
Destiny has been working on this project since March. She got together a team and did her own fundraising through bake sales and donation drives. She also got sponsorships from DTS & Fabrication and McCaslin Trucking.
Last weekend, she saw her months of hard work pay off
“It was an amazing feeling. [When] we got there, I was like, 'This is the most important step,'" said Destiny. "This is the part where it’s like, "Wow, you did what you said you were going to do.'”
Destiny said she received incredible support from the community, her parents and her team members
“After all this time, you know, finally having the beds here and it just felt like this moment of relief, and like [you] helped these people," said Destiny.
Now she’s doing a survey, getting feedback on her project. She will also do an interview with the Girl Scouts, explaining how it all went.
Once Destiny's project is confirmed and approved, she officially earns the Gold Award, leaving an impact on Kern County for years to come.
We’re always looking for people and organizations to feature in Kern’s Kindness. If you know someone making a difference in our community, email us at kernskindness@kero.com.
