Carolina Pack of Johnson City wanted to raise awareness about the importance of supporting new parents and making nursing accessible for new mothers. She ultimately found a tangible way to help nursing moms and earned the Girl Scout Gold Award from Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians in 2021.

Carolina Pack of Johnson City wanted to raise awareness about the importance of supporting new parents and making nursing accessible for new mothers. She ultimately found a tangible way to help nursing moms and earned the Girl Scout Gold Award from the Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians in 2021.

Gold Award Girl Scouts are high schoolers who address issues they’re passionate about by planning and implementing a project that produces lasting change in the community and beyond. It is the Girl Scouts’

highest and most prestigious honor.

When Carolina’s cousin had a baby, she learned about the concerns surrounding nursing and the lack of community felt by new parents. She didn’t want nursing moms to miss the opportunity to attend church, so she created a project to outfit a room for nursing moms and renovate the infant nursery at the church she attends, First Christian Church.

Carolina assembled a team and through 92 hours of time and work investment, they created the nursing rooms with individual lounge chairs, blankets, and pillows. Screens were installed to stream the service live, so the mothers could still participate in worship while nursing. 

Carolina’s team of volunteers. 

Carolina’s team  assembling furniture for the room.

Her Gold Award project addressed one of the four national program pillars: Life Skills. Projects in that pillar help Girl Scouts gain skills in important areas such as civic engagement, healthy living, communication, financial literacy, cultural arts, global citizenship, and more.

Carolina honed several skills. She learned about leading and communicating with her team and the importance of learning each member’s skills to find out where each one would be happiest and most helpful working. 

In her Girl Scout Gold Award Final Report, she shared: “I learned how to communicate well and take charge – even when I was the youngest person in the room.” It turns out leadership came pretty naturally to her, and she enjoyed getting to know more about the folks who volunteered to help implement her project. She also learned how to turn her interests and talents into actionable projects for community service. 

The finished nursery, complete with comfy armchairs, privacy curtains, changing station, a TV, and inviting decor.

Carolina worked with church staff to promote the nursing room and infant nursery in the church’s newsletter and in announcements. The newsletter, Vision News, ran the following announcement:

NURSING MOMS ROOM NOW OPEN

The needs of the nursing moms and infants are unique, and FCC-JC is excited to provide a comfortable and private space tailored to these needs. Private, curtained areas furnished with comfortable chairs, nursing supplies, snacks, and water will be available. Services will be streamed onto a large TV so moms and infants can fully participate in the worship experience. Nursing moms, check out the new room, enjoy some snacks, and a gift just for you. Stop by the Kids Welcome Kiosk to pick up your pass and one of our greeters will show you the way.

She quickly learned how her hard work made an impact: A member of the church team who does Spanish language translation shared her appreciation for the room saying she was almost brought to tears after seeing the space and that she previously had to nurse in awkward places such as the restroom.

The nursing room and infant nursery will provide comfortable, well-equipped spaces for mothers now and in the future, thanks to the insight and dedication of Carolina Pack.

Congratulations, Carolina!  Visit girlscoutcsa.org to learn more about the Girl Scouts.   

Carolina provided treat bags adorned with her own artwork for the opening day of the nursing room.