Natalie Wood of Knoxville felt inspired to tackle her community’s food insecurity issue. Her project, “Church Based Community Food Pantry,” earned her a prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award in 2023.

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.

“The leadership at the church I attend was looking for an outreach program to engage with the surrounding community,” Natalie explained. “They wanted to address the food assistance need in the neighborhood. After learning about this, I thought starting a food pantry was the best way to address the issue of food insecurity and also engage with the community.”

The pantry operates through community donations, supplemented with church funding, efficiently organizing a variety of food items for distribution. With Natalie’s leadership, her committee’s input and the helping hands of volunteers, the pantry opens its doors monthly to supply essential food items to those most in need.

In researching the issue of food insecurity, Natalie discovered that nearly one in three people across 76 low- and middle-income countries did not have access to adequate food in 2021. Food insecurity worsened during the pandemic due to economic recession, supply chain issues and inflation. “Food banks and pantries have been stressed to meet the ever-increasing needs,” Natalie said. “Therefore, every community should do its part to feed the hungry.”

Natalie identified low income and unemployment as root causes of food insecurity. Other causes, she said, include inability to access food due to lack of neighborhood stores and lack of transportation, especially among the disabled.

She recalled a particular interaction with a resident who lived across the street from the church, had just lost her job and did not have a car. “She was very thankful for the food she received during this difficult time in her life,” Natalie said. “Being able to help this family was very gratifying for me and worth all the effort it took to implement this pantry program.”

Dealing with the unknown was a significant challenge, including estimating the number of people the pantry could serve and the amount of food needed. In addition, Natalie was uncertain how extensively the pantry could be advertised because of budget constraints. “We did not want to have to turn people away if we ran out of food,” she said.

Natalie and her committee started out advertising on the church’s social media and marquee and through word of mouth. After the first pantry event, which was visited by only eight people, they purchased a couple yard signs to spread further awareness. They also pared the originally extensive food item list to basic items, ensuring that the pantry could meet the community’s most pressing needs without exceeding budget. By the third event, the pantry was able to provide food for 30 people.

Natalie’s project also led to personal development. She shared, “My Gold Award project not only helped me gain experience leading a group, but it also helped me learn how to serve on a committee and how to delegate work within the group.”

Asked about favorite Girl Scout memories, Natalie recounted the fun of attending a service unit summer day camp, going to father-daughter dances and the annual Salvation Army bell ringing during the holidays.

Described by those close to her as “thoughtful, funny and a perfectionist,” Natalie enjoys spending her leisure time with siblings and friends, playing the piano and guitar, thrifting clothes, exploring fashion videos on YouTube and reading. She has a sense of humor, too: “I enjoy watching really bad movies with family and friends, critiquing the movies while we watch them and laughing the whole time.”

Natalie will attend East Tennessee State University on a scholarship for its Global Citizen Scholars program, which emphasizes experiential learning through education abroad, internships, research and community engagement. “I’m excited to travel abroad next summer,” she said, looking forward to expanding her global awareness and continuing her commitment to making a positive difference.

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