A group of Giving  Back Girls listen to Janet Mellon, executive director of Southington Community Services, as she gives them a tour of the facility on Norton Street. Mellon, far left, explains to the sixth-graders how the facility is organized and the many services it provides. Giving Back Girls is comprised of sixth-graders from DePaolo and Kennedy middle schools who have held several bake sales in town with proceeds going to good causes. Proceeds from the first bake sale went to community services while the second bake sale supported the Southington YMCA and again, community services.

The Arc of Southington, which serves people with developmental disabilities and their families, sponsor the group.

The student volunteers will also be working with Ashley Zerbe and Melissa Reid, the Southington High School students who for the past four years have headed up the backpack program for community services. The Giving Back Girls will learn from them all the details on collecting items to stuff more than 300 backpacks that will be distributed to local students in need at the beginning of the new school year.

The Giving Back Girls will have another bake sale in May.