January 1, 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

The Importance of Sunscreen

July 8, 2021

July 8, 2021

By: Will Miller, PA-C, Christie Clinic Department of Dermatology Summer has come and everyone is out and enjoying the sun....

Kids say

July 19, 2019

July 19, 2019

Second graders from PVO South tell us if they would like to be a farmer. This post is sponsored by...

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...

Kids Say… What does a farmer do?

January 17, 2020

January 17, 2020

We asked students what they think a farmer does all day. Here are their answers. Brady: I think a farmer...

Donation could change the face of sports and activities at SJO

February 16, 2021

February 16, 2021

An anonymous donor has made St. Joseph-Ogden High School an offer they couldn’t refuse. And because of it, SJO athletic...

How I get it done… Diana Foltz

October 7, 2022

October 7, 2022

We are asking local business leaders how they accomplish goals and run their businesses. We spoke to Diana Foltz, the...

Senior spotlight… Emily Bigger

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019

Every week we ask a St. Joseph-Ogden senior five questions. This week we talked to Emily Bigger. This post is...

Sweet Home Alabama

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

Eve Owens knew she wanted to go South. So when she was trying to decide where to go to college...

St. Joseph Community Garage Sales Spring 2025

May 7, 2025

May 7, 2025

5 505 N 4th St.Friday 9am-5pm Saturday 8am-2pmClothing, toddler to adult (all sizes) household items, toys, craft items, lots of...

‘This role has been an amazing one to take on’

April 1, 2022

April 1, 2022

Wyatt Loghry has loved the Addams Family since he was little. And now, he is playing the patriarch, Gomez Addams....

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...

‘I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it’

December 28, 2022

December 28, 2022

Girl Scout Emily Elsbernd knew what she wanted to learn while working on her Gold Award. “I knew all along...

Ask the Doctor with Dr. Jeanelle Murphy

April 6, 2020

April 6, 2020

How much screen time should my child have? What are the pros and cons for letting a toddler or grade...

Kids Say….

April 5, 2019

April 5, 2019

Every week we ask five students from a local school to answer a question on a worksheet. This week the...

SJO community mourns death of Glenn Fisher: ‘He had a heart of gold’

January 12, 2021

January 12, 2021

Glenn Fisher liked to tease people. Whether he was telling the newly hired football coach at St. Joseph-Ogden High School...

Comments
Leave a Reply