Girl Scout Community Service Creates Lasting Lessons

Thanksgiving morning looked a little different for Girl Scout Troop 57018.

Instead of gathering around their own tables, the girls spent the morning delivering hot Thanksgiving meals to local families through Feeding the Valley’s Big Gobble program.

As a funded Community Investment partner of United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia helps girls build leadership through service, hands-on experiences, and community engagement. Through partnerships like Feeding the Valley, girls don’t just learn about helping others. They experience the impact firsthand.

Together, Troop 57018 delivered meals to 15 families, helping Feeding the Valley work toward its goal of providing Thanksgiving meals to older adults, people with disabilities, and homebound neighbors across 18 counties.

Along the delivery route, the girls began noticing something they hadn’t expected.

As they continued their route, many of the families they visited lived in neighborhoods that looked much like their own. As a result, the girls realized that food insecurity isn’t always visible.

Cadette Amari reflected on the experience, saying:

“I was glad to see the recipients smiling. I wondered how these families would have eaten without this program.”

For Brownie Jonah, the takeaway was just as meaningful:

“It made me feel good to help people in need.”

Service Helps Girls See Their Community Differently

The meals nourished families, but the experience also shaped the girls who delivered them.

For Amari, beginning Thanksgiving by serving others changed the way she experienced the holiday itself.

“This Thanksgiving was special because I started the morning doing something special for someone else. It made me thankful for all my family does for me.”

Inspired by what they learned, the girls decided to make the Big Gobble an annual service project for their troop.

The impact reached beyond the girls as well.

One meal recipient, who had been a Girl Scout herself, greeted the troop with gratitude:

“It’s good to see the Girl Scouts in the community again… Y’all made my day showing up on my doorstep first thing Thanksgiving morning.”

Sometimes leadership begins with something as simple as knocking on a neighbor’s door with a warm meal and a caring smile.

Strong Communities Are Built Together

Behind every impact story is a network of people and organizations working together to create lasting change.

As a funded Community Investment partner, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia helps girls build courage, confidence, and character through leadership opportunities, community service, outdoor experiences, and hands-on learning that prepares them to make a difference throughout their lives.

United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley invests in trusted nonprofit partners with proven results because lasting change happens when we strengthen the organizations already making a difference every day.

When you support United Way, your investment stays local, helping ensure young people across the Chattahoochee Valley have opportunities to grow into compassionate leaders who strengthen their communities.