Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen Program

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois

 #4 Ginger Creek Parkway - Glen Carbon, IL 62034

United Way

July 1, 2015 – May 30, 2016

$51,520.12

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Agency Description

The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is a non-profit organization that works towards

empowering young girls to be courageous, instill confidence in themselves, and set the framework for a

strong character (GSSI, 2015) This is achieved through diverse opportunities that include community

outreach, programs and activities, camp adventures, and service projects (GSSI, 2015).

Geared towards empowering young girls ranging between grades k-12 the Girl Scouts of

Southern Illinois serves 14,000 girls and 5,000 adult volunteers (GSSI, 2015). There are two counsel

offices located in Glen Carbon and Mt. Vernon, Illinois employing over 50 workers. Specific cities and

towns are assigned to one of the 48 service units that cover 40 ½ counties.

Pathways are the six different options that girls are able to choose to participate in throughout the

year. This allows for each girl to participate in as many activities as they would like (GSSI, 2014).

Troop Pathway

o Traditional Girl Scouts are members of a troop which consists of all girls in the same age

group that live in the same geographical area. Troops meet regularly throughout the year

which allows for girls to meet new friends and participate in different programs together.

Events

o Each year there are a variety of different programs that girls can participate in

individually, with their troop, or with a group of friends. These programs are organized

by the girls grade level and offer a fun, educational experience.

Series

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o The series pathway is very similar to the events pathway however the programs are

scheduled over four to eight sessions. These programs relate to a specific theme or

purpose and allow for a more in depth educational experience.

Travel

o Age appropriate travel experiences are offered to girls through planned day trips,

weekend trips, national and international trips. This allow for girls to explore the world

and other cultures.

Virtual

o This pathway allows for girls to be connected girls in other areas via technology.  While

networking with other girls across regions, girls also learn basics of computer science,

cyber security, coding, and online safety.

Camp

o There are four different campgrounds located in the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Area

Council.  There are different camp options in order to fit the needs of girls.  Camp lengths

range from week long adventures to a simple weekend camp.  Overnight and day camps

are also available.  Girls can register with their troops or individually for a camping

excursion.

There are currently several health and nutrition programs through the Event pathway in which

scouts can participate. Programs include Juniors in the Kitchen and Brownies Make It and Eat It

Cooking Class. The programs educate the girls on basic cooking skills and kitchen safety (GSSI, 2014).

The maximum amount of girls that can participate in these programs is 25. This program number is

consistently met with evident demand for more health and nutrition programs (GSSI, 2015).

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Community Problem Statement

Poverty is defined as the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of

support. It is often associated with more exposure to both personal and environmental health risks,

higher rates of food insecurity, lower opportunities for education, and decreased access to  knowledge

about health care (World Health Organization, 2015). These factors leave people who live in poverty at

higher risk for illness and disability.  East St. Louis is a highly concentrated, poverty stricken area.

While Illinois overall has 14.1% living below the poverty line, East St. Louis has 46.7% (United States

Census Bureau, 2015). East Saint Louis, Illinois is the home to over 27,006 residents. Of the population

10.6% are unemployed men and women (United States Department of Labor, 2015). This is relatively

high compared to the unemployment rate in the state of Illinois which is 6.0% (United States

Department of Labor, 2015). The median household income in East St. Louis is only $19,161 (United

States Census Bureau, 2015).  Lower rates of income or no income at all, results in households falling to

or below the poverty line.

Food insecurity rates are higher in households with children than those without children by an

8% increase (Feeding America, 2015).  Households with children that are headed by single parents,

Black non-Hispanic households, and Hispanic households tend to have higher rates of food insecurity

(Feeding America, 2015).  The child food insecurity rate of St. Clair County is 20.6% (Social Impact

Research Center, 2014).  Food insecurity is a result of poverty. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program) offers nutrition assistance to low-income families. Eligibility is based on income

and household size (United States Department of Agriculture, 2014).  The county value for families on

SNAP in St. Clair County that have one or more workers in the family is 71.1%  (United States

Department of Agriculture, 2014).

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Poverty is a major concern for St. Clair county due to the fact that a citizens socioeconomic

status significantly affects their ability to obtain a higher education and afford healthy, fresh foods.  St.

Clair county has been battling with high rates of poverty for many years now (Heartland Alliance,

2008).  As a consequence of living in a low income area, 46.7% of citizens in East St. Louis experience

food insecurity at some point in their lives (United States Census Bureau, 2015).

According to the Global Development Research Center (GDRC), there are two causes of

poverty, individual and aggregated.  The individual causes include education, skill level, experience,

intelligence, health, age, handicaps, work orientation, discrimination, ethnicity, and sex.  The aggregated

causes of poverty include case and generic. Case refers to the total of all individual characteristics and

circumstances, while generic refers to the view that poverty is a result of an economy-wide issue such as

lack of job opportunity or low national income (Srinivas, 2014).  For the community of East St. Louis a

combination of individual and aggregated factors contribute to the high rates of poverty.  

Another factor, according to Srinivas, that plays a role in the cause of poverty is corruption and

as U.S. District Judge Michael Reagan explains, East St. Louis has a history of corruption.  Last year

Reagan sentenced Detective Orlando Ward for charges of conspiring to distribute cocaine.  Reagan goes

on to report that by the early 1900’s corruption in city hall was a regular occurrence with bribes or

kickbacks and even embezzlement of city resources (News, 2014).  After World War II, East St. Louis

began to fill with prostitution, bootlegging and gambling; all of which were either ignored or protected

by officials.  By the 1980’s less than 500 manufacturing jobs remained, leaving citizens unemployed.

The city of East St. Louis could not pull itself out of debt because the majority of its income went to

paying previously acquired debt (News, 2014).  

Environmental degradation is yet another cause of poverty. The contamination of water sources,

for example, could ruin the livelihoods of East St. Louis community members (Srinivas, 2014).  During

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the 1980’s raw sewage overflowed into city streets and homes and between 1987 and 1992 the city of

East St. Louis neglected to collect trash (News, 2014).  Both of these issues make the community less

appealing to live in or to even visit.  It is unfair to the residents who are forced to live in these conditions

due to their socioeconomic status and the county’s inability to manage expenses and community needs.  

Finally, social inequality also plays a significant role in who is affected by poverty.  There is a

sort of cast system in America where your race, gender and age can directly affect how you are viewed.

For example, it is preferred to be a young white male in America over any other age, ethnicity or gender.

Because of this ascribed inequality from birth people are given different opportunity to succeed

(Srinivas, 2014).                

A consequence of poverty is lower levels of Health literacy which is defined as the ability to

process and understand health information.  Research supports that those with limited health literacy

skills are more inclined to skip preventative measures such as health screenings, testings, and flu shots

(United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2015).  This is unfortunate considering only

12% of adult U.S. citizens are proficient in health literacy, 53% have an intermediate level and 35%

have basic or below literacy levels.  It is also important to note that different ethnic groups differ in

terms of literacy levels.  For example, 24% of participants who identify as black have below basic health

literacy skills, as compared to only 9% of participants identifying as white having a below basic health

literacy level (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2015).  Considering 98% of

East St. Louis citizens identify as Black or African American (United States Census Bureau, 2015)

health literacy is a vital skill for the community members to develop.  

Another consequence of poverty is the increased incidence of violence throughout the

community.  East St. Louis is ranked number one on the crime index that spans from one to one

hundred, with one equaling the most dangerous city and one hundred being the safest city

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(Neighborhood Scout, 2015).  With this kind of crime occurring regularly East St. Louis citizens are less

likely to leave their homes to go all the way to the grocery store. Last year the Schnucks on Grand

Boulevard closed its doors because since its acquisition in 1995, it has not made enough money to be

sustainable (Joiner, 2014).  This contributed to the lack of food availability for the community, forcing

residents to travel further for groceries.  Unfortunately, due to the high level of people living in poverty,

more than half of the community members residing in the area of the Schnucks closing do not own

vehicles and are unable to get to other grocery stores.  As a result, citizens are utilizing convenience

stores as a means of their primary nutritional intake (Joiner, 2014).  Items sold at convenience stores

tend to be unhealthy, more expensive, and not necessarily intended to stand in as a primary means food

service.  

With the consumption of less healthy foods over an extended period of time, East St. Louis

community members are increasing their risk of developing chronic diseases.  The research shows us

that the onset of chronic diseases is already and will continue to be a growing concern for community

members.  For example, 82% of community members aged 65- 75 are enrolled in diabetic monitoring

through Medicare and regularly receive testing for their diabetes.  Currently, 31% of St. Clair County

citizens are overweight or obese (County Health Rankings 2015).  This is a significant consequence of

living in poverty because, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, it

increases your risk of developing coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes. certain types of cancer,

hypertension, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease. and osteoporosis (Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. 2013).  These consequences of living in poverty can be combated with the right initiatives.  

The St. Louis Area Foodbank is an organization that works towards feeding the hungry and

engaging the community in a fight against hunger. They are able to serve twenty six counties between

Illinois and Missouri. The organization collaborates with others to help distribute the food that they

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receive. Programs that they have include SNAP which provides guidance for families through applying

for food stamps. They also help schools start food pantries to feed low-income students and their

families. The Transitional Housing Program provides families a months worth of food for free to make

the transition from a shelter to a new home easier.

Flyers Feeding Families is a program that is partnered with the St. Louis Area Foodbank and

Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House which provides a school-based food pantry twice per month.

The students from East St. Louis Senior High School can volunteer at the food pantry and give back to

their community.

The Campus Kitchens Project is a community service organization that was founded in 2010.

Schools and organizations have come together to create a student-run kitchen which helps local

communities across the United States who struggle with food insecurity. “Each Campus Kitchen has one

mission which is to recycle food, provide meals, educate and engage with the community, and provide

leadership opportunities for students” (The Campus Kitchens Project, 2015). Currently in the St. Louis

area there are three University based Campus Kitchen Projects: Southern Illinois University in

Edwardsville, St. Louis University, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Program Summary

This grant proposal seeks to bring The Campus Kitchens Project into the Girl Scouts East St.

Louis outreach programs. The Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen Program is a learning opportunity for the

participating Girl Scouts in East St. Louis, which will provide education on the  importance of nutrition,

knowledge of what healthy foods are, and how to prepare them. This program will work together with

school dining providers, local grocery stores, food banks, and farmers to recycle quality food before it

goes to waste. The meals will be prepared at the school whose troops are participating in the program or

at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center which is a youth center that focus on improving the lives of youth

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and families in East Saint Louis.  The nutritious meals will be delivered to local community gathering

centers such as a church or the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center where the healthy meals will be served to

community members.  This will allow for low-income families and individuals from the East St. Louis

community to be provided with healthy meals. Campus Kitchens meal preparation typically takes place

at schools who have donated kitchen space during their off hours.

The Program Coordinator, with the help of interns from the Girl Scout Organization, will be

responsible for collaborating with the managers of Schnucks and Save A Lot as well as owners of local

food banks and farmers to provide foods for the program. Participating donors, such as Schnucks, Save

A Lot and others, will provide the girls with produce and other goods to be used in the making of

healthy meals that will be provided to the community. The Program Manager, who already oversees

outreach programs, will be responsible for connecting the Program Coordinator to the principle of the

outreach schools.  From here, it is the Coordinator's responsibility to ensure the schools participation in

The Campus Kitchen Project.  The program will be promoted by word of mouth within the community

as well as informational flyers created by the Girl Scout interns posted in community gathering centers,

churches and grocery stores announcing days that meals will be provided. The experience of Girl Scouts

Campus Kitchens allows for the students to grasp a better understanding of poverty in their

communities. Empowerment and education are both a major component of Campus Kitchens Program.

Each Campus Kitchen reaches out to their community in different ways by providing classes or even

building a garden to use fresh produce for their meals.

Target Population

The target population for Girl Scout Campus Kitchen Project is the community members of East

St. Louis and the Girl Scouts participating in the outreach program that is putting on The Campus

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Kitchens Project. Currently there are 27,006 people living in East St. Louis that could benefit from The

Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen Program.  There are seven Girl Scout outreach programs in East St. Louis

and ideally this program will grow in the future to support all of them. Eventually the Girl Scouts

Campus Kitchen Program will impact 1,021 girls who currently participate in the Girl Scouts outreach

programs in East St. Louis.  

Timeline for Implementation

Activity Time

Develop the program curriculum July 1 to August 30

Schedule implementation dates August 1 to August 30

Conduct campus kitchen programs September 1 to May 30

Conduct evaluation September 1 to May 30

Prepare final report June 1 to June 25

Goals, Objectives, Activates and Evaluation

Goal 1: To eliminate food insecurity in East St. Louis.

Objective 1: One hundred East Saint Louis Community members will have obtained a healthy meal from the Campus Kitchen program by January 1, 2016.

Activity:The Project Coordinator will create promotional material for the girl scouts to distribute to family and community members to spread awareness of The Campus Kitchen Program. Through donated food from surrounding grocery stores, restaurants, local farmers, and community gardens The Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen Program participants will cook healthy meals for the East St. Louis community members. The girls will help serve the community members healthy meals that they have prepared.

Evaluation:   The number of community members who receive a meal from the Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen program will be recorded by the Program Coordinator during each implementation of The Campus Kitchen project.  

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Goal 2: To advance the knowledge of East St. Louis community members about the availability of healthy foods.

Objective 2:Educate and inform one hundred East St. Louis community members about the current and upcoming programs that work to provide healthy foods to current food deserts by the end of the program.  

Activity:  The Girl Scouts Program Coordinator and interns will develop informational pamphlets and promotional material about healthy foods and where to find them in the East St. Louis community, including information about developing programs working to combat food deserts.  A voucher will be created for citizens to present to MetroMarket and other agencies that would indicate how they were informed about the program.  The Girl Scouts in the Campus Kitchen Program will talk with family members about healthy food options and their Campus Kitchens Program. The Program Coordinator, interns and the Girl Scouts will also post promotional information to social media sites, specifically the East St. Louis Monitor media page.

Evaluation:Develop coalitions with St. Louis MetroMarket and other local agencies that are working towards eliminating food insecurity.  Promotional material will request that community members present the voucher at other community programs or initiatives they learned about through our Campus Kitchen Project. Also, Campus Kitchen participants will be surveyed about how they found out about the Campus Kitchen Project. Each month the Program Coordinator will meet with the agencies to record the amount of vouchers received and discuss their success as well as ways to improve.        

Goal 3: To combat the development of chronic diseases through increasing the knowledge of Girl Scout participants on healthy food options.

Objective 3:By the end of the program Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen participants will be able to identify the difference between nutrient dense foods and nutrient poor foods. Girls will have an understanding of how these foods may affect overall wellness later in life.

Activity: Using the foods donated, Girl Scout Interns will demonstrate and teach the girls how to prepare healthy meals. The girls will learn about the different types of food they will use to prepare meals for the community. The girls will also create grocery lists including nutrient rich foods versus

Evaluation:The Program Coordinator and interns will develop a pretest and posttest which will be administered before and after the Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen Program. Girls will be asked to categorize food under nutrient dense foods and nutrient poor foods. They will also be asked how these different foods affect

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unhealthy or processed foods. Each Girl Scout will create a Healthy Food Recipe Booklet that will include healthy food choices. The recipe booklet will include healthy food recipes and the grocery lists that were created.

your overall wellness.

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The Girl Scouts Campus Kitchen Budget Request

Budget Category: FTE: Funding Request Agency In-Kind

Total

Personnel Expenses:

Program Manager 0.25 $10,000   $10,000

Program Coordinator 1.0 $40,000 $40,000

Intern: 0.00 $4,290 $4,290

Intern: 0.00 $4,290 $4,290

Intern: 0.00 $4,290 $4,290

Intern: 0.00                      $4,290 $4,290

Total Personnel: $50,000 $17,160 $67,160

Operating Expenses:

Food: $1,344 $1,344

Silverware:   $48.80 $48.80

Paper Plates: $34.44 $34.44

Tupperware: $59.94 $59.94

Napkins: $32.94 $32.94

Subtotal Operating Expenses:

$1,520.12 $1,520.12

Total Budget Request: $51,520.12 $17,160 $68,680.12

Personnel: Program Manager:

The agency program manager will be the supervisor of the Program Coordinator and will oversee the activities of The Campus Kitchens Project.  This person will be a Girl Scouts employee with the knowledge and community connections to start up an outreach programs such as this and will serve as a resource for the Program Coordinator.  The Manager will be expected to work an average of ten

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hours per week to reach the salary of $10,000 for this year long program. $19.23 per hour x 520 hour= $10,000    

Program Coordinator: This person will be the primary contact and lead facilitator of The Campus Kitchens Project.  The job of the coordinator will be to plan the dates in which meals will be served and where, coordinate the Girl Scouts volunteers into shifts and keep track of the participants.  It is also the coordinator's responsibility to come up with creative ways to teach the program participants about nutrition and healthy eating.  This position is suitable for an entry level health education specialist working forty hours a week and being paid hourly for this year long program ($19.23 per hour × 40 hours a week x 52 hours a year = $40,000).

Interns: The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois regularly utilizes interns that help plan, promote, and implement programs.  The Program Coordinator will work with these interns for Campus Kitchens program planning, promotion and implementation.  This includes assisting the program coordinator with scheduling, transportation of goods, managing the program participants, and developing educational material. The Girl Scout Interns will be paid ($8.25 per hour × 10 hours a week × 52 hours a year= $4,290).  This is calculated into the budget as an in-kind expense.    

Operating Expenses: Food:  

Additional food items, such as meats, will need to be purchased from local meat markets or grocery stores to supplement recipe ingredients.  The price calculated accounts for 70 servings of meat for one meal a month, with the second meal provided being a vegetarian option (Meat at $8 per pound, 1 pound serves 5 people (3 oz. servings) x 14 to serve 70 people once a month).

Silverware: Silverware will be used twice a month to be serve with the meal to the residents of East Saint Louis. The Silverware 360 ct will consist of forks, spoons and knives (9.76×5) Daily Chef Clear Cutlery Combo Pack 360 ct.).

Paper Plates: Plates will be used twice a month to help serve the meal. Plates will be used so that residents have something to place their food on (11.48×3) Hefty Supreme Plates 250 ct.).

Tupperware: Tupperware will be used to help store leftover food instead of disposing it. Food that will be leftover from the day that Campus Kitchen comes to East Saint Louis will be put in Tupperware containers. The containers then will be given to the nearest homeless shelter or be distributed as extras to the residents (19.98×3) Rubbermaid Storage Set 50 piece).

Napkins: Napkins will be provided to community members with their meal (10.98×3) Everyday Napkins 660 ct.).

References

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