Cooking with Compassion
Nine Juniors from Buxton Troop 1116 volunteered their time in the kitchen this January at the Ronald McDonald House in Portland.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine provides comfort for families of pediatric patients and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of all children. In Portland, they provide guest housing and 24-hour staff support for families of patients receiving care at the children’s hospital. Operating entirely through volunteer and donor efforts, the Ronald McDonald House seeks help from those willing to lend a hand with cooking, maintenance, guest support, cleaning, and more.
“Our girls enjoy volunteering, and the Ronald McDonald House is a place that my co-leader sometimes volunteers at, so we thought we would offer it up to our troop as a new volunteering experience,” says Troop 1116 Leader Karen Barnes.
Since Troop 1116 loves to cook, they quickly chose to volunteer in the kitchen, whipping up a delicious meal and dessert for families staying at the house.
“In addition to cooking for 20 people, our troop also got a chance to play with one of the guests, a 2-year-old boy who just loved all the attention from them,” says Karen.
According to Karen, it was inspiring to witness nine 10-year-old Girl Scouts command the kitchen with safety and grace.
“They were completely independent, and if they ran into an issue, they solved it on their own without having to come to us. I enjoyed watching them take the reins on the entire event, and my co-leader and I were so proud,” says Karen.
Even after their meal, the troop went above and beyond, offering to sweep, organize, and sanitize the children’s play area! Troops looking for a great way to volunteer in the Portland or Bangor area can visit the Ronald McDonald Charities of Maine website to find many group opportunities to give back and make an impact locally.
