June 1, 2026 Submitted By Girl Scout Troop # 83316 (Troop 83316 is led by Katie Mulkerrin and Michelle Magner. Troop Members include: Amelia Sellers, Amelia White, Anna Doran, Annie Mitchell, Caoimhe Connolly, Elizabeth Alexander, Fern Gilfoy, Hannah Rhoden, Hazel Flynn, Laura Piccioli, Lillian Proppe, Mary Mulkerrin, Mimi Blasberg, Nadia Mamary, Olivia McIver, Sarah Magner, Vivianne McDevitt, Wynne Donelan.)
Girl Scout Troop 83316 is a group of ambitious and committed 5th graders who have been working hard to achieve the Girl Scouts Bronze Award. The Bronze Award is the highest honor for junior girl scouts (grades 4-5). The troop must work as a team to identify community issues, develop a plan, and dedicate at least 20 hours each to implement a project that makes a lasting difference. Their final project is complete – The Hingham Pet Pantry, housed at the Center for Active Living at Town Hall.
As the troop members started to plan their project back in the fall, the girls thought about options and ideas for the Hingham community and kept coming back to their love for animals. The troop leader arranged a meeting with Leslie Badger, Hingham’s Animal Control Officer, to discuss the idea. Leslie validated the need and provided input and ideas for the troop to consider. She told them that there are many seniors in town with pets who struggle to provide adequate food and supplies for them.
The girls decided to extend an effort that a community member, Amy Barao, had started months ago with a bin in her yard for donations of pet food and supplies that were free and available to anyone who needed them. Amy was delighted that the girls wanted to take her idea and grow it into something larger and lasting. “I started in October 2025 in response to the freeze in snap benefits. There are silent needs in our community and I wanted to create a resource that allowed people to take what they need and give what they can. This little pantry developed into a small corner of hope, happiness, and community support” Amy stated. Ultimately, the troop planned for a permanent bin at the Center for Active Living to target the seniors and make it easy for them to get supplies. The Center leaders were excited about the project and welcomed the troop’s idea.
Given the size of the group, they split into smaller groups. One focused on outreach, donations, and buying supplies. The other focused on making and distributing flyers. They spent hours on the project and worked together on the various elements. Some girls spoke about it at their schools. Others spent more time planning with Leslie. When they were close to completing the project, one group of girls helped make a flyer and distributed them around town in public locations. The flyer discusses the bin, offers the supplies to those in need, and solicits donations.
One group went shopping to fill the bin to get it started.
The project is complete and the bin is stocked. It is available during normal operating hours at the Center for Active Living. Community members are welcome to take what they need and to donate items including unopened and nonexpired pet food, new, small supplies like collars and leashes.
The girls are excited about giving back to the community and hope to leave this lasting legacy of their commitment to the community’s needs that reflect the mission and vision of The Girl Scouts. The hope is that the community keeps it going for years to come.
Troop 83316 is led by Katie Mulkerrin and Michelle Magner. The troop members include: Amelia Sellers, Amelia White, Anna Doran, Annie Mitchell, Caoimhe Connolly, Elizabeth Alexander, Fern Gilfoy, Hannah Rhoden, Hazel Flynn, Laura Piccioli, Lillian Proppe, Mary Mulkerrin, Mimi Blasberg, Nadia Mamary, Olivia McIver, Sarah Magner, Vivianne McDevitt, Wynne Donelan.