One Scout’s Mission to End Hunger
Ridgefield, CT — While many Girl Scouts make an impact through troop projects, one local Juliette Ambassador has taken her service work to new heights by independently tackling food insecurity in her community and beyond.
During and immediately after the pandemic, she built and gifted six freestanding little free food pantries to Ridgefield. Placed at churches and community organizations, the pantries quickly became vital resources. As soon as food is donated, it is taken — a clear sign of the growing need in Ridgefield and surrounding towns.
Recognizing the challenge of keeping the pantries stocked, she reached out to the Superintendent of Ridgefield Public Schools with a bold idea: a district-wide food drive across all nine schools. With more than 4,500 students enrolled, she calculated that if even a third donated one item, the effort could yield 1,500 food items. The proposal was enthusiastically received, and the drive is now underway. To manage overflow donations, she secured storage space through local churches and town offices.
She has also been invited to speak at schools, encouraging students to think about donations in terms of complete meals — pairing items like soup and crackers, pasta and sauce, or cereal and shelf-stable milk. This approach empowers students to see how their contributions directly help families put meals on the table.
Her service extends beyond Ridgefield. At the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury, she volunteers regularly and founded Club Sandwich, an initiative that provides more than 120 ready-to-eat sandwich meals each month for clients experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. She organizes donations by partnering with stores and coordinating volunteers through sign-ups.
In partnership with the local library, she also leads Birthday Cake Box Making on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Each box includes cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, candles, paper goods, and even a can of Sprite — a substitute for eggs and oil — along with a handmade card. These boxes ensure that families in need can still celebrate birthdays with dignity and joy.
Her advocacy also addresses gaps in SNAP benefits, which do not cover personal care items. Disturbed by reports of girls missing school due to lack of menstrual supplies, she began assembling Blessing Bags filled with pads, tampons, and encouraging notes. These bags are distributed to group homes for women and teen girls, helping to restore comfort and confidence.
Her leadership has already been recognized. Earlier this year, she was featured in Ridgefield Lifestyles magazine as one of four “Trailblazing Teens” making a difference in their communities. When asked what inspired her, she credited Girl Scouts for instilling the empowerment, moral compass, and support to act on community needs.
From food pantries to Blessing Bags, her initiatives demonstrate how one determined young leader can mobilize resources, inspire others, and create lasting change. Her work is a testament to the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
