By Mill Stream Junior Granger Natalie Heck
My Girl Scout troop, 2096, makes birthday bags every year for Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday. This is a project we have been doing for eight years. We make birthday bags for people who don’t have enough money to have a nice birthday party for a loved one. We put cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, candles, paper plates, and napkins in the bags. Then we take them to the food bank. The people who volunteer at the food bank say that their customers really appreciate the birthday bags. It makes me happy to know that maybe a little girl or boy is having a nice birthday when they might not have been able to otherwise. This project inspired me to volunteer in person.
On March 15, 2025, I spent my morning working in the food bank at the First Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, Maine. The food bank serves my neighbors here in Vienna and Mount Vernon, as well as the surrounding communities. My mama helped me reach out to food bank volunteers and get permission to come in and help. We arrived at 8:00AM and helped carry all the fresh food into the building that had been donated by Hannaford. I helped sort fruits and vegetables and baked goods onto tables, and some canned goods onto shelves. When the food bank opened, I helped people find what they needed and packed it into bags for them.
In between customers, I interacted with the other volunteers and talked about my pageant experience. I helped make toiletry bags, and split bulk toilet paper packages into smaller bundles. At one point, I saw one of our Girl Scout birthday bags go home with a family. I felt really proud that I was helping people, and that I knew our kits were being taken.
I completed over fifty hours of community service this year, but this was my favorite because I felt active in my community. I was sad that so many people need help but felt happy that I was able to make a difference. I think the Mount Vernon Food Bank is very important to the people in this area. A lot of the community seems to rely on it.
I would like to be able to give my time to work there again in the future. My whole Girl Scout troop is going to volunteer at the food bank in November to help with Thanksgiving boxes, and I hope to be able to help independently again soon.
Natalie Heck is an active Junior 1+ Granger from Mill Stream Grange in Vienna. She recently received the Passion to Progress Award for this essay, which describes her volunteering experience at the Mount Vernon Food Bank. While it focuses on her work with her Girl Scout Troop, she and her sister, Caroline, are amazing Junior 1+ Grangers who certainly have a passion for progress in community service.
