Montana families forced from their homes by disasters like fires or floods will get a little extra love sent their way thanks to the hard work of a Great Falls Girl Scout troop.

The scouts were looking for a volunteer project when Troop Leader Terri Plunkett suggested doing something that would help Montana Red Cross and those they serve. The group decided to make comfort kit bags that would hold hygiene items like shampoo, combs, a toothbrush and tooth paste that are given to families who have to evacuate quickly during an emergency.

The four girls created the bags from scratch, giving them plenty of learning opportunities throughout the multi-step, multi-month process.

“They had to create a design for the draw-string bags and had to learn how to shop for the material,” said Terri, who also works for Red Cross. “They learned that material can be expensive and that they had to keep the cost down.”

Once they had their pattern and materials, the scouts used sewing machines to add a pocket on the front of the bag that would hold a list of all the items inside. That way the families who received the comfort items would know what to replace when they were used up and could turn the bags into go-kits or travel bags for future use.

The project wasn’t always easy, the girls said, especially when the bags weren’t closing correctly, and they had to pull out stitches and redo some work. Using a sewing machine could be tricky, too.

“We learned how to sew … and how to sew straight at the same time,” 10-year-old Sofia said.

But the girls stuck with it, and earlier this summer presented the Red Cross with 156 red and gray bags with the Red Cross logo. They then helped Red Crossers fill them with comfort items.

“You don’t know how important this is,” Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Shellie Creveling told the girls. “You have done a fantastic job, and this will make people a little bit happier on one of the worst days of their lives.”

And now that the girls feel more comfortable using a sewing machine, they say they’re ready to move on to blankets and quilts.

“That’s our next project,” Terri said.

Despite the hard work, the scouts agreed it was worth it.

“It feels amazing to know I’m helping people out,” Izzy said.