Be like the Girl Scouts: ‘Do a good turn’ for summer food program
Members of Kingsland Girl Scout Troops 40010 and 40020 with more than 200 birthday cake kits they assembled as part of their annual community service project. Most were given to the Highland Lakes Crisis Network for its summer meals program. Some went to the Granite Shoals Police Department. Courtesy photo
Two Girl Scouts troops in Kingsland recently assembled over 200 D-I-Y birthday cake kits to donate to the Highland Lakes Crisis Network’s summer meals program and the Granite Shoals Police Department. Troops 40010 and 40020 chose the kits for their annual community service project, following the organization’s slogan of “Do a good turn daily.”
“It was an easy project girls of all ages could get into,” said Troop Leader Arlett Long. “We have girls from Daisies to Cadets. Daisies are 5 years old, the Cadets are seventh-graders.”
You don’t have to be a Scout to help provide meals and snacks for families needing food assistance during school breaks. Everyone can get involved. Just check out the Crisis Network’s newly posted online Wish List.
The network will begin delivering weekly summer meals on June 3. The yearly summer program continues through the first week of August, said HLCN Operations Director Rachel Naumann.
“We deliver meals every Monday to the families on our list,” she said. “We send easy, kid-friendly meals that they can make if they are at home alone. We also include snack items and cereal, and every family gets a casserole.”
Casseroles are baked by volunteers, either individuals or groups who get together to turn out dozens at a time. Groups that provided a hot dish a week last year included volunteers from First Baptist Church and the Highland Lakes Service League.
The birthday cake kits are new additions this year and come with a cake pan, cake mix, icing, sprinkles, candles, balloons, and Sprite to use instead of eggs, oil, and water.
“We put everything in the cake pan and covered it with plastic wrap,” Long said. “We also included a note to say how to use the Sprite and to have a happy birthday.”
All of the Girl Scouts earned a community service badge for their participation.
To donate to the Highland Lakes Crisis Network, visit the nonprofit’s website. You can also follow the HLCN on its Facebook page for the latest updates and needs. Call 325-423-3662 for more information. The network’s office is located at 700 Avenue T in Marble Falls.