When it comes to making the world a better place, even the youngest Girl Scouts can make a difference.

This spring, Girl Scout Daisy Aliya Summers, a first-grader in Troop 1271 in Suffolk, heard about the Helping Hands Food Drive, an annual effort for Girl Scouts to help local food banks at a time when donations are at their lowest. Although her fellow troop members were busy with other projects this spring, Aliya decided that she wanted to participate.

Aliya requested permission to place collection boxes at her school, daycare and at her mother’s place of work. She decorated each box with pictures of items most needed by the food banks and attached a flier so that people could learn more about the Helping Hands Food Drive.

Aliya also walked through her neighborhood and asked those in her community to contribute food items to her collection drive. Through her efforts, Aliya collected more than 116 pounds of food. For her participation in the community service project, Aliya will earn the Helping Hands Food Drive patch that she can proudly wear on the back of her vest.

Community service has been a cornerstone of Girl Scouting since the organization was founded more than 100 years ago. Each year, Girl Scouts rally together to make a difference in the lives of those who may be struggling to put food on the table. As summer nears and more families will be relying on food banks instead of school meals for nourishment, the efforts of the Girl Scouts are important for keeping the shelves of food banks filled.

For more information about making a difference in your community through Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.