Scouting News

Girl Scout yearns to make a difference

Wantagh teen raises awareness about food allergies

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Kelly Bender knows about food allergies. She is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. Although it is an issue familiar to her, Bender, of Wantagh, said that many people don’t know how much of a problem it is.

About 15 million Americans have food allergies, including 1 in 13 children. Reactions can range from minor to life-threatening.

Bender, a Cadette with Girl Scout Troop 3308, put together a food allergy presentation for her Gold Award, the highest honor in the Scouts. She hosted three food allergy fairs at the Wantagh Public Library in August, with each garnering about a dozen people. “I thought it would be a great thing to bring more awareness,” she said.

Her program was called FAIR — Food Allergy is Real — an acronym she came up with to play off of FARE, the Food Allergy Research and Education organization. Although her programs at the library are now complete, she is hoping to bring it to Girl Scouts troops in Wantagh and Nassau County over the next several months.

Bender said she got the idea for a food allergy project when she visited Disney World last year, and noted that many of the items that could trigger an allergic reaction were well marked. It is a concept she would like to see expanded everywhere.

Her Gold Award project included more than just the presentations. She also started a petition on Change.org encouraging the passage of a bill that would allow schools to have an EpiPen available in the nurse’s office. The pens provide an injection of epinephrine to combat life-threatening allergic reactions. She plans to go to local street fairs to ask people to sign her petition, and promote a food allergy walk on Long Island on Oct. 25.

Bender said that food allergies can lead to children feeling left out, as they often have to leave a room while their peers enjoy a snack. In some cases, she explained, it has even led to bullying.

“It’s an issue,” she said. “It does exist. It causes problems, not just medical, but social.”

That’s an aspect that Bender’s advisor, Usha Krishna, a teacher in New York City, did not know. “It’s been an eye-opener for me, as a teacher,” Krishna said, “because I know a lot of children with food allergies.”

Krishna said she wants to bring that lesson into her school, and would like Bender to lead an assembly for students.

Bender spent months doing research for her project, which was approved by Girl Scout leaders in June. She was even able to set up a display case in the library with information about food allergies.

“It was time consuming,” she said of the process, “but I feel like it’s going to make a difference.”

This summer, in addition to devoting a lot of time to her project, she interned in Assemblyman David McDonough’s office, and also did some college visits. She is a senior at Wantagh High School where she is president of the International Outreach Club, vice president of the Art Honor Society and writes for the literary magazine.

She has been in Girl Scouts since Brownies, and earning her Gold Award has been a long-time goal. Bender said she was inspired by the many other girls she saw earn the award during her time in the Scouts.

“It really shows that you’ve put the Girl Scout law and promise into effect,” she said of the award.

For her Bronze and Silver awards, Bender and members of her troop volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides support to families dealing with a child’s illness. She explained that the Gold Award typically requires an individual project.

Bender’s mother, Cheryl, says the Scouts teaches girls how to be leaders, and Kelly has proven she has what it takes. She commended Kelly for a job well done on her Gold Award project on food allergies.

“I’m glad she’s bringing it to the forefront,” Cheryl Bender said. “The research she’s dong is far beyond her years.”

Krishna attended Bender’s final library presentation and said she was very impressed with the facts she presented, and her ability to get the audience involved. Bender’s passion for the subject was evident. “She’s very dedicated, very committed and very thorough in what she does,” Krishna said. “It’s a lot of hard work.”

Kelly Bender, who aspires to be a lawyer in the future, is glad to have been a member of the Scouts for so long. “Girl Scouts helps make you a better person,” she said. “You think more about other people than yourself. You learn that the world’s bigger than yourself.”