Helping families in need earns Gold Award for Girl Scout

Rachelle Havelka

Girl Scout Ambassador Rachelle Havelka recently earned the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council Gold Award.

To earn the award, Havelka donated baking items and fresh produce to more than 250 families in need during the winter holidays. She collected more than 596 baking items and fresh produce from 75 people. With the supplies, she made 100 baskets of baking items and 250 boxes of fresh produce to donate to Cypress Assistance Ministries (CAM), an organization devoted to helping families in need. After donating all the items to CAM, she helped the organization deliver the baskets and boxes.

"I was looking for a project that would help people in my area the most," said Havelka, a senior at Cy-Fair High School. "Finding one that provided nutritious and seasoned foods for the needy was a perfect fit, since I was able to help over 250 to 300 families."

The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve. Fewer than 5 percent of girls who join Girl Scouts earn this recognition. It takes more than 100 service hours and two to three years of work to complete the award requirements, which include planning and completing a project that is a service to the community.

As an active member of Girl Scouts, Havelka has earned her Bronze and Silver Awards and is a troop officer and top cookie seller. At Cy-Fair, she is involved in the National Honor Society and has won numerous awards in band. Following graduation, she plans to attend the University of North Texas to become a physician's assistant.