COMMACK SCHOOLS

CHS junior Samantha S. has earned the prestigious Gold Award from the Girl Scouts.

Samantha devoted more than 80 hours to completing her service project, which involved creating a sustainable fruit and vegetable garden at the Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center to provide fresh produce to families in need via the organization’s food pantry.

Her motivation came from recognizing that families with limited financial resources often struggle to access healthy food.

Not only did Samantha design and build the garden, she also installed an irrigation system to ensure the crops could thrive without constant manual watering. She fundraised and secured donations, including support from Horizon Contracting, to bring her vision to life.

Samantha was recognized by CHS principal Carrie Lipenholtz on Monday for the project and Gold Award.