TAMPA, Fla. — May is Mental Health Awareness Month and there is a girl scout in Tampa who has made it her mission to help people in her community find a healthy, productive way to cope with these daily challenges.
“Back in 2020, 2021, I struggled with my own mental health, and gardening actually was a good outlet for me to put something positive back into the world,” said 18-year-old Emily.
Over the course of 80 hours, Emily not only built a garden from scratch behind Oakwood Church, but she also helped write the curriculum for a gardening class used by Trinity Home School Academy.
“So it just goes over a lot of mental health, how you can use gardening with the sense, the sights, to benefit you, and it also just talks about pollination and pollution and how we can be better sustainable for the environment,” said Emily.
The project has made an immediate impact on churchgoers, students and teachers.
“I think it’s amazing. I mean, I came out here and I’m kind of in shock. It used to be just sand, and look what they’ve done with it," Corey McKeown with Trinity Home School Academy said. "And the kids come in from the gardening class with these huge vegetables, and it's just amazing."
“A lot of the children like to come here, put their own impact, their own twist in the garden, and they get to talk it through if they are struggling with something. We're just there for them,” said Emily.
The garden has even earned Emily the prestigious Gold Award on behalf of the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida.
“These projects, the amazing thing about them is it's truly reflective of the girl, it is their passion, their idea, it is how they see they can make a difference and make the world a better place,” said Jill Painter with the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida.
Emily will be heading off to college next fall but she hopes the legacy she leaves behind only continues to grow and offer positivity for years to come.
“I do hope that a lot of schools see this because it really is a beneficial way to give back to the environment, but also establish that connection with, it's okay to talk about your mental health issues, and there are ways you can help,” said Emily.
The Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Gold Award’s ceremony will be held on June 10 and feature 32 Girl Scouts. It is open for the public to attend.
