Not having a cake on your birthday can be one of the many disheartening outcomes of food insecurity.
To a kid, that’s unacceptable, decided a young Girl Scout troop in Cherokee County.
In three years, the troop in Holly Springs has assembled nearly 400 birthday bags, filling each with a cake mix, frosting, candles, and a can of Sprite to make the cake without eggs and oil. They even added birthday goodies like gift bags, cards, and festive party supplies.
The bags go to food pantries, domestic violence shelters, and foster care programs in Cherokee and Cobb counties so children in need can celebrate their special day in style.
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Credit: spe
Troop leader Amber Witt said the girls embraced the idea of making sure other kids get a cake on their birthday.
“When we told them that we’re going to do it the first time, it blew their minds that some people don’t get cake on their birthday. I think that has really stuck with them.”
The girls first tackled the project as kindergartner Girl Scout Daisies, using funds from their cookie sales to purchase the items to make 10 birthday kits, packing the items inside aluminum cake pans.
“We had conversations about why they were doing it, why somebody wouldn’t have a cake on their birthday, and how sad that would be,” Witt said.
The following year, these now first-graders wanted to do the birthday project again and asked the community to contribute. The goal was 111 birthday gift bags in celebration of the 111th anniversary of Girl Scouts. They surpassed their goal with 133.
In October, the now second-graders of Girl Scout Brownie Troop 23134 hosted girls from six additional troops and assembled 247 birthday bags with items collected from local businesses, the Fielding Lewis Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, friends, and family.
The project celebrated Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday and her legacy of giving back to the community.
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Credit: spec
“This drive not only helps children celebrate their birthdays but actively reinforces the values of kindness and generosity that are the founding principles of Girl Scouting,” Witt said.
These young Girl Scouts also learned about hunger and poverty and what it means to share resources by using a curriculum developed by the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
The food bank has a long history of educating Girl Scouts and giving them opportunities to serve. Troops can earn the food bank’s Hunger 101 Patch and add related patches at each Scouting stage.
Each month, up to 250,000 households seek food assistance from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and its network of nearly 700 community-based partner organizations serving a 29-county area, said Lindy Wood, senior education and outreach manager.
One in eight Georgians — including one in five children — are food insecure, said Wood.
Girl Scouts are encouraged to discover the needs in their own communities, which helps them understand that “food insecurity can be everywhere and there are a lot of ways they can be involved,” Wood said.
This fall, more than 250 scouts in the 32-county Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta earned the Hunger 101 Patch after attending a Girl Scout Saturday workshop at the food bank, followed by projects in their community. In-person and virtual workshops are offered twice in the fall and spring.
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“Kids are incredibly sympathetic about hunger issues, especially when other kids are impacted,” said Leslie Gilliam, director of communications for Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.
In Gwinnett County, several troops made Thanksgiving food baskets for families who lacked resources.
Working with school counselors, the troops filled laundry baskets with nonperishables to make a Thanksgiving meal, plus a gift card to purchase the perishable items, including a turkey. Some troops included additional items for kids, like coloring books and card games.
Other troops are hosting canned food drives, and one Girl Scout recently built a “Little Food Pantry” — similar to Little Free Libraries — on the grounds of a food ministry so people could get food when the pantry is closed.
The Holly Springs Brownie troop has been recognized for helping to fill a need by addressing hunger in a unique way.
“Lots of people give to food banks at Thanksgiving or Christmas. They get a lot of canned meat and pasta and other things that they can make, but nobody thinks to buy them cake mix,” said troop leader Witt. “The odds of a food pantry having a cake mix on hand are slim to none.”
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Last year, their project won first place at the national level for 1st Grade Community Service project as part of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Junior American Citizens (JAC) contest.
The girls won at the chapter level with the Fielding Lewis Chapter in Marietta. Witt said DAR members supported the project and donated many birthday items.
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This year, the troop was named an Unstoppable Girl Scout, an honor given annually by the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta to troops demonstrating extraordinary commitment to leadership, community, and inclusivity.
“They are transforming their communities with passion and purpose,” said Gilliam. “Their determination is inspiring, and they are just getting started.”
ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK
Learn more about the Girl Scout partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and how to support the food bank and its partner organizations at acfb.org
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