Rachel Villafranca Earns Gold Award
Rachel Villafranca of Ambassador Troop 40897 from Kenilworth earned her Girl Scout Gold Award in September 2022.
The Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. Rachel earned the award by creating and implementing an 80+ hour solo community service project, “Blessing Box”. A “Blessing Box” is an outdoor, 24/7 access, food and resource pantry built to serve the local community of Calvary Tabernacle.
“I want to be able to provide resources for local communities and others in need so they can have an easier time providing for themselves and their families,” states Rachel.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a 9.1% increase in food prices in the New Jersey area in 2022, increasing food insecurity for those most at risk.
“The mission of my Gold Award is to work with the community in hopes to lessen this issue in our area,” Rachel added.
The importance of these items being free was a hopeful solution to making sure it is accessible to those in need. Rachel is a graduate of Union County Vocational Technical School and is currently attending Kean University’s teaching program.
Courtesy photo
