MAHONING COUNTY Girl Scouts, OCCHA join in rally for Hispanic girls

YOUNGSTOWN -- Lake to River Girl Scout Council and OCCHA are sponsoring a rally for Hispanic girls between the ages of 9 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Registration for the rally at Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, 3660 Shirley Road, is at 9 a.m. The rally is called "Soy Unica! Soy Latina!" ("I am unique, I am Latina!").
National statistics show there are almost 7 million Hispanic girls under age 18 living in this country and Puerto Rico, and that those girls rank higher in rates of pregnancy, depression and suicide than other ethnic groups.
In response to the need, several national organizations, including the Center for Substance for Abuse Prevention, have developed a bilingual public education initiative for Latin girls 9-14 and their mothers designed to build self-esteem, mental health, decision-making and assertiveness skills.
The Girls Scouts are also part of that effort, and at the rally the organization will have displays available showing the opportunities available for girls. There also will be a welcome from Karen Conklin, Girl Scout chief executive officer.
There will be a dance performance at 11 a.m. and other activities from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Girl Scouting has helped cultivate values, social conscience and self-esteem in young girls since it was founded in 1912, says a scouting council press release.
For more information, contact Janice Figueroa at (330) 781-0451.