The Girl
Scout mission is “Building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make
the world a better place.” Girls (shown below) and their troop leaders are working to support those in need in their community.
Girl Scout Troop 61 from Montgomery created the Little Food Pantry
The 6th
Graders who make up Montgomery, New York’s Girl Scout Troop 61 embody all of
that. These nine girls, many of whom have known each other since kindergarten,
have created a Little Food Pantry. They’ve engaged their community to help keep
it stocked while working to get the word to those who need the help. All of
this has earned them a coveted GSA Bronze Award.
The Girl
Scouts of America website states: “When Girl Scout Juniors team up to make a
difference in their community, they learn important leadership skills, discover
new passions, and watch how seemingly small actions make a big difference. It
all adds up to the Girl Scout Bronze Award—the highest honor a Junior can achieve.”
The pantry
is located in the Village of Montgomery municipal parking. Anyone can drop off non-perishable
food and canned goods at any time.
The girls
will maintain the Little Food Pantry by continually asking the Montgomery community
to donate to it. They’ll check the box for overflow, or to see if it's empty,
and they’ll keep the box and area around it neat and clean. Once they age out
of Girl Scouts, they will pass the care of it on to a younger troop.
While 63%
of U.S. counties are rural, 87% of those counties have the highest rates of
overall food insecurity. The mini pantry movement (https://www.littlefreepantry.org/)
activates neighbor engagement of food insecurity. It is a grassroots,
crowd-sourced solution to immediate and local need. Whether a need for food, or
a need to give, mini pantries help feed neighbors, nourishing
neighborhoods.
We here at Hudson Valley
Parent could not be prouder of Troop 61. Please give to their pantry if you can
and take from it if you’re in need.
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