Baldwin Girl Scouts plant community garden to provide fresh produce for Bethany House
With handfuls of soil and packets of seeds, more than 20 Baldwin-area Girl Scouts transformed a corner of Meadow Elementary School into something much larger than a garden — a place where lessons in leadership, nutrition and community service will one day provide fresh produce for families served by Bethany House.
The project, called Growing Goodness, was made possible by a $1,500 state grant administered by the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Baldwin residents and Girl Scout troop leaders Nicole Ricca and Sophea Sainsurin secured the grant to create a service project, and selected Meadow Elementary because of its outdoor space, support from Principal Yolanda Martin and its ability to host volunteers from several Baldwin-area troops.
Students will help monitor the growing beds while reinforcing classroom lessons in science and environmental stewardship.
During the July 11 planting day, Girl Scouts from several Baldwin troops filled raised beds with soil, planted vegetables, herbs and flowers, and learned how community gardens can help address food insecurity.
“We wanted the girls to understand that even a small garden can make a meaningful difference,” Sainsurin said. “When they see the food they planted helping families in need, it turns gardening into something much bigger than growing vegetables.”
Every vegetable planted through Growing Goodness will eventually be harvested and donated to Bethany House, a Baldwin-based nonprofit that provides transitional housing and supportive services for women and children experiencing homelessness. Organizers said that the partnership helped the girls understand how something they planted could benefit families in their own community.
This was the first time many of the scouts had taken part in a service project that gave them the chance to see where their efforts would make a difference.
“Sometimes people think kids are too young to make a difference, but we can help, too,” Sainsurin’s daughter Sothanee, an incoming fifth-grader at Meadow and a member of Troop 2210, said. “Even small things, like planting a garden, can grow into something big. When everyone does their part, it can make the whole community stronger.”
“It is so heartwarming to see young students involved in helping others less fortunate,” Lisa King, a Bethany House board member and a co-chair of the organization’s development and communications committee, wrote in an email to the Herald. “It is a true teaching moment for them. Not only does Bethany House benefit from their generosity, but they also learn the meaning of compassion and care for others.”
The produce, King said, will be used for the meals that residents prepare together, giving women and children the chance to cook with fresh ingredients while learning healthy eating habits, and building confidence in the kitchen. Fresh produce can be costly, she added, making donations like these especially meaningful.
For Kaylee Ricca, a Lenox Elementary School student and a member of Troop 2088, the project showed how something as simple as planting vegetables could help families in need.
“It means a lot to me that families are able to get healthy food,” Kaylee said. “They won’t be hungry because of the food we planted for them.”
One of the moments she’ll remember most, she added, was “everyone working together as a team to pour the soil into the planters.”
Although the first harvest is still months away, organizers said the girls had already gained a deeper understanding of nutrition, sustainability and food insecurity. They learned where food comes from, how it reaches local tables and why access to fresh produce isn’t equal for every family.
Leadership became part of the lesson as well. Older Girl Scouts helped younger participants identify healthy and unhealthy foods before everyone worked together to fill the beds with soil, plant seeds and water the garden. Organizers said the mentoring happened naturally as older girls encouraged younger participants throughout the morning.
The scouts also prepared fruit skewers, putting the day’s nutrition lessons into practice while discussing healthy food choices.
The garden includes corn, beans, squash, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, basil and marigolds — all selected because they are productive, relatively easy to grow and well suited for donation. Corn, beans and squash were planted using the traditional Indigenous “three sisters” method, in which each plant supports the others’ growth, while marigolds attract pollinators and naturally discourage pests.
The scouts, Meadow students and volunteers will continue watering, weeding and harvesting the crops throughout the growing season before delivering the produce to Bethany House. Project organizers said they hoped the garden would continue serving as both an outdoor classroom and a source of fresh food for local families.
Kaylee said that another of her favorite moments came as scouts from different troops encouraged one another while sharing responsibilities throughout the project. Watching older girls mentor younger participants, she said, showed that the project was growing far more than vegetables.
For 10-year-old Makynzie Etienne, the day’s lesson came down to something much simpler. “It means so much to know that I will help feed them,” said Makynzie, a Girl Scout Cadette who helped plant the garden. “It makes me feel good to give back to the community.”
