May 18, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

‘Girl Scouts is not all arts and crafts’

Hannah Fox wanted to help feed her community.


And for her Girl Scout Gold Award she attempted to do just that.


“My project was based on farm to table,” Fox said. “My main goal was to get fresh food out to my community, and I did so by creating an educational website.”


The website lists the benefits of fresh food, where fresh food can be purchased, and also how to grow food at home. 

Fox receive her award in December.


Fox said her own experiences inspired the project.


“I grew up with fresh food,” she said. “I wanted to be able to give my community what I had.”


To earn the Gold Award scouts must first earn the Silver Award and plan and implement a “Take Action” project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides sustainable, lasting benefit to the community. Gold Award Service projects require a minimum of 80 hours of work in planning and actually completing the project. Plans must be developed with the aid of an advisor and the proposal must be approved by the local Girl Scout Council and a final report must be submitted and approved when the project is completed.


Fox’s journey to her Gold Award wasn’t without its issues.


Her project did not get approved at first.


“I had to sit my proposal paperwork,” she said. “Then it was finally approved.”


Fox spent 85 hours working on the project but she said the time was worth it.


“There are many benefits to having your gold award,” she said. “It was a great topic for my college scholarship essays and it was very rewarding to know that I have made an impact in other people’s lives. Even if I didn’t reach my entire community, it was a good feeling to know that I reached some.”


Fox said the hardest part was prioritizing the project over more fun tasks.


“I was very busy with school, volleyball, and other hobbies, so in order to finish I had to make sacrifices in order to make the time to complete it,” Fox said.


Fox said the process taught her that it really does take a support system to complete a project like this.


“Their support is what pushed me to finish,” she said. “Without them I really doubt I would have gotten the award.”


Fox said she looks back on her time in scouts fondly.


“For me, scouting was a way for me to stay in touch with my friends who I didn’t go to school with. We were all very busy, and Girl Scouts allowed us to easily keep in touch with them,” she said. “Girl Scouts is not all arts and crafts. It is about learning new skills, making friendships, and gaining confidence.”

in Life, People
Banner
Related Posts

Homeward Bound: Piper’s incredible adventure comes to an end

September 23, 2020

September 23, 2020

Piper, the most famous Labrador in St. Joseph, is finally back home. The dog spent seven days exploring St. Joseph...

Lending a hand: how to help out the Short family

March 25, 2019

March 25, 2019

Amy Short and her family don’t like to ask for help. So their friends are doing it for them. Amy...

Kids say

October 22, 2019

October 22, 2019

Every week we ask area students questions about being a farmer. This week we spoke to kids at PVO South....

5 things you don’t know about me… Braxton Kuchenbrod

August 7, 2019

August 7, 2019

Braxton is in the running for the title of Little Prince! He is six years old. We asked him to...

Generous family man Fisher suffering from major health issue

January 24, 2019

January 24, 2019

Luke Fisher likes to solve problems. The assistant public works superintendent does everything from work at the sewer plant to...

10 things you don’t know about me… Shawn Skinner

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

1. What is your favorite food? Italian food  2. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas 3. What is your favorite...

Always Looking to Give Back: Short honored for volunteerism

June 7, 2022

June 7, 2022

Tim Short wants to inspire the younger generations. Short, who was honored with the SJO Friend of Education Award this...

Running for a good cause

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021

John Lubinski has a sizable commute each day to get from his home in St. Joseph to his place of...

10 things you don’t know about me… Kelly Skinner

January 15, 2020

January 15, 2020

St. Joseph resident Kelly Skinner is opening her new business, Soul Care, today. The grand opening and ribbon cutting is...

Kids say… what does a farmer do?

December 22, 2019

December 22, 2019

This week we asked students at St. Joseph Grade School to tell us what they think a farmer does. What...

How I get it done: St. Joseph-Ogden Principal GARY PAGE

June 1, 2023

June 1, 2023

We ask local leaders to discuss their views on leadership, how they set goals and what a typical day is...

‘I will always have memories that I won’t forget’ by Kenly Taylor

June 16, 2020

June 16, 2020

Hello! I’d like to take a few minutes to welcome each and every one of you to the St. Joseph-Ogden...

Van Buskirk reflects on successful expo

May 1, 2019

May 1, 2019

Dawn Van Buskirk loves the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon. Van Buskirk has been involved with the marathon since it started...

Bringing Boston to St. Joseph: Jones to complete virtual marathon Monday throughout villages

September 5, 2020

September 5, 2020

Alison Jones has competed in the Boston Marathon before. On Monday, she will participate in the storied event — just...

Comments
Leave a Reply