Ally Turner: Seeking out community service

WVHS senior Ally Turner was raised to understand the importance of giving back. Her parents have always encouraged her and her sister to share what they have with those in need.

“We were raised with so much; we’re so lucky,” said Ally. “So growing up, we would always tithe every month. We would donate to church or put some money aside to donate to organizations that need it.”

Ally also said she’s been influenced by her faith. She’s attended Christ Church in Warwick “since [she] was born,” and has always been eager to lend a hand to the church’s many outreach programs, like working in its thrift shop, helping out with the Saturday pancake breakfasts, or welcoming guests at the church’s Applefest stand.

Ally has been an active Girl Scout since kindergarten. As her troop grew up and kids started getting into other things – sports, extracurriculars, different social lives – Ally decided she wanted to stick with it. So, with her childhood troop dwindling, Ally had to take another path toward her goal, which was following through on her idea for a Gold Award Project.

“It was at the end of middle school that I became a Juliette, which is, basically, my own troop of one,” said Ally, adding that her mom acts as both her troop leader and mentor.”

Gold Award scouts are high school aged scouts who complete a project of their own design, intended to make the world a better place. It is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve. Ally’s Gold Award concept combines her dedication to scouting and her faith.

“At my church, we have something called a Blessing Box. It’s a large wooden cabinet outside the church, with a swinging door on it,” Ally said. “You can put in boxed or canned food, or other things people might need, and then people who need it can come and take it.”

It was 2020 when Ally’s church received an anonymous letter from someone who had used the box. They shared how the box had been so helpful to them during such a difficult time. Ally was touched.

“It was a young lady in her early twenties,” she remembered. “And I just felt really connected to her and her letter. I’ll be that age soon, and you just never know where you’re going to be at [any] time.”

That letter inspired Ally to create an additional Blessing Box to put up in another location in Warwick. She has already met with Mayor Newhard to begin choosing the best possible spot for it. Ally and her mom also plan to create a how-to book, including Blessing Box parts, dimensions, and assembly.

“We want to reach out to other churches to see if they’d like to take the idea and run with it,” said Ally.

This year, Ally is one of a group of students taking the independent study-based Senior Project class. Not surprisingly, hers has a strong community service aspect.

“My Senior Project goal is to learn the art of fused glass and create a series of six fused glass panels, each depicting some part of nature,” she explained. “The panels will all fit together to illustrate a larger environmental scene.”

Ally’s plan is to hold a fundraising event at her church and auction the panels off to raise money for a local land conservancy.

Ally also manages to find ways to be civically engaged as a member of the WVHS Cheer Team.

“We’ve recently been doing a lot of community service things,” she said. “Last month, we baked a bunch of brownies and cookies and dropped them off at the local police and fire departments. This month, we’re doing Toys for Tots.”

Having wrapped up the football season, the cheer team has moved on to focus on its competition season. With their first meet coming up the first week of January and its first home competition the final weekend in January, Ally sees a lot of potential with the team this year and said they have high expectations for their season.

“We want to win sections, then go to States,” she said. “We’re also planning on a competition either in Orlando or Ocean City this year, which is something we haven’t done before.”

As for the remainder of her senior year, Ally said she can’t wait to find out where all of her friends get accepted for college, and where she’ll end up herself. She’s got her fingers crossed for the University of Delaware, which is where her sister goes. She also wants to make sure she takes in all of the meaningful moments and milestones yet to come this year, even as time seems to fly by.

“I feel like I just started freshman year,” she joked. “I feel like everyone says this, but just enjoy it. School goes by so quickly.”

As far as her advice to others about community service, Ally says, “We’re all so lucky to be where we are, and to have what we have. Just try and do whatever you can, even once a month or every few months. It’s super important.”