Thanks to the generosity of donors during the 2024 Giving Challenge, which was presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, Mackenzie was able to Be the One to show us how Girl Scouts transforms girls’ lives and supports mental health.

The One to Struggle Quietly

The first time we met Mackenzie, she was just seven years old. A bright and imaginative first grader, she was always eager to try new things, but prone to nerves when asked to speak up during a troop meeting.

She also carried struggles that weren’t always visible: the restless grip of social anxiety, and the heaviness of depression that sometimes kept her at home weighed heavily on her at times.

Mackenzie shared that her struggles with mental health began when she was in the eighth grade. “I was constantly sad and anxious,” she said. “It was affecting my grades at school and my friendships.”

Her mental health struggles made it difficult for her to feel like she fit in.

“Being diagnosed with anxiety was hard,” Mackenzie shares. “There were days where I missed school and had trouble explaining to my friends why I was absent. It made me feel lonely at times.”

And sadly, the research shows that Mackenzie is not alone.

With the support of funds raised during the 2024 Giving Challenge, Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida (GSGCF) joined forces with other Florida councils to commission a groundbreaking study on the state of Florida girls’ emotional, mental, physical, and academic wellness.

The State of the Florida Girl Report shows that girls face worse outcomes in academics, health, safety, and especially mental health compared to boys. According to the report, nearly 50% of Florida girls report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and more than 1 in 4 experience poor mental health most of the time.

But thankfully, it also shows a way forward: youth programs designed specifically for girls, like Girl Scouts, dramatically improve outcomes across every area studied.

The One to Ask for Help

At Girl Scouts, our mission has always been to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. What we didn’t fully recognize was that while we were asking girls to change the world, the world wasn’t quite returning the favor. We knew we had to be the one to help girls thrive.

Many might ask: How did we get here?
But at Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, we ask: Where do we go from here?

We knew right away that we couldn’t make lasting change without help from others.

So, as part of our goal to better serve our members’ mental health needs, we joined forces with HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital to deliver relevant mental wellness programming.

We also partnered with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Sarasota and Manatee Counties and Children’s World for the 2024 Giving Challenge. Our main goal was to empower girls like Mackenzie with tools for mental health awareness, self-care, and resilience.

“Seeing organizations like NAMI and Girl Scouts come together during the Giving Challenge really made me realize how far we’ve come in support of mental health awareness. It gave me confidence that girls were going to be able to grow up having these organizations easily accessible to learn about mental health diseases and how to manage everyday life,” Mackenzie said.

The data shows why these programs matter, too. The State of the Florida Girl Report revealed that structured mentalhealth programs significantly improve girls’ coping skills, reduce risk behaviors, and increase academic performance.

Mary Anne Servian, CEO of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, put it this way: “Girls already have incredible strength and potential within them. Girl Scout programs simply give them the chance to discover it—by trying new things, building skills, and being surrounded by safe, supportive adults who believe in them. With the help of our community, we can continue providing these opportunities, tools, and resources so that girls like Mackenzie realize their power and use it to shape a brighter future.”

The One to Find Her Voice

Through Girl Scouts, Mackenzie participated in numerous troop and individual projects that made a positive impact on her community, learning the value of caring for others.

In March 2024, she discovered something even more personal: the importance of being the one to care for herself. During a Girl Scout badge workshop at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, she chose to work on the Finding My Voice badge.

At first, she was anxious to attend an event with so many unfamiliar faces. But the activities—breathing exercises, roleplays, naming emotions out loud—felt different from the usual school day. They gave her space and language for expressing feelings she was used to carrying in silence.

Later that spring, she laughed with friends while painting mandalas at the 2024 Giving Challenge Self-Care Fair event at Camp Honi Hanta. Girl Scouts hosted this workshop in collaboration with NAMI. Sunshine filtered through the cypress trees as a yoga instructor guided them in gentle stretches. Mackenzie didn’t realize it then, but she was one of the 78% of girls who walked away with greater emotional awareness after that day.

Mackenzie said that these activities really made her feel “understood and cared for.” 

“Having a safe space to not only talk about my challenges but listen to other people’s challenges helped me to connect with girls I never thought I would. These were opportunities I would have never gotten if it hadn’t been for Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida.”

By June, she was watching her troop leaders bring back skills from the Volunteer Celebration Wellness Training. At this event, we continued to partner with NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties to equip over 100 leaders with wellness tools to share directly with girls.

The One to Find Belonging

For Mackenzie, Girl Scout programs were more than dates on a calendar; they were living proof that adults cared enough to create spaces just for girls like her, where she was never “too much” or “not enough.”

In Girl Scouts, she found a place where she truly belonged.

Even when her mental health struggles set her apart during summer camp, she said the troop never treated her differently: “I was worried about what other people were going to think, but they welcomed me with open arms.”

She said attending Girl Scout camp in high school was “the best time of my life.” Meeting new friends, working with supportive leaders, and enjoying low-ropes challenges and campfire songs, she said, “brought back my happy self.”

“Girl Scouts is the one place where I could go and feel free and uplifted,” she added. “Not only did I have my leaders to help me, but my fellow sisters in Girl Scouting were also a big part too. They listened and helped me through all my struggles.”

The One to Conquer the World

With the confidence skills she learned in Girl Scouts, Mackenzie traveled to New York City to represent Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida at the United Nations’ 67th Commission on the Status of Women. She stood among global changemakers, voicing the needs of girls who are too often left unheard.

“Representing Girl Scouts at the UN ‘s 67th Commission on the Status of Women is an experience I’ll never forget. Getting to meet and see world leaders come together to talk and make changes about issues directly affecting me was incredible.

And I got to be a part of that change too by writing statements to be sent over and giving a speech in front of a few hundred people. It gave me confidence that I was capable of doing anything I set my mind to,” she said. She also confessed, “A year prior I was having a panic attack about giving a presentation in front of my class and now I felt I could conquer the world.”

The One to Speak Up

When we unveiled The State of the Florida Girl report, Mackenzie stepped up to the podium inspired to raise her voice once again—this time not on an international stage, but in her own community. Before a crowd of leaders, politicians, reporters, and nonprofit directors, she spoke about her journey in Girl Scouts.

She explained how the Mental Health Badge Workshop at HCA Sarasota Doctors Hospital, the 2024 Giving Challenge Self Care Fair, and other Girl Scout programs and supportive mentors helped her grow past the obstacles she faced with her mental health diagnosis.

Mackenzie said that being asked to stand beside Mary Anne Servian, Chief Girl Champion and CEO of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, and tell her story made her feel exceptionally confident and proud. “I was so anxious about messing up… But I pushed through it and went on stage in front of all those people and spoke about my story.”

Afterwards, she said it was encouraging to hear from attendees that they were inspired by her story. “I had never been prouder of myself because I knew what I was doing was going to be the one to help change girls’ lives.”

Her words truly strengthened those who heard her story with resolve to Be the One to do better for our girls.

You Can Be the One to Help Girls Thrive

Our work advocating for girls’ wellbeing isn’t done.

Currently, our calendar includes increased programming for girls, with new, inclusive opportunities added every day. These programs help girls build mental health skills, boost confidence through self-defense and empowerment workshops, explore STEM subjects, express themselves through art and performance, and strengthen their confidence through physical activity.

In 2026, we hope to release an updated version of The State of the Florida Girl Report to track progress and continue refining our programs based on the evolving needs of girls across the state.

Our membership is steadily growing, and so is the need. As more girls join, the demand for uniforms, financial aid, and support for life-changing programs grows with them.

Mackenzie knows firsthand what it means to be supported. Her story shows that when girls are given chances to explore, earn badges, live their values, and be guided by mentors in a place where they truly belong, amazing things happen. They grow. They lead. They find their voice.

Today, Mackenzie serves on the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida Board of Directors. She’s no longer the girl quietly battling anxiety and loneliness—she’s a leader shaping programs for thousands of girls across the Gulf Coast.

Mackenzie wants her community to understand the impact Girl Scout programs have on helping girls thrive:

“It’s hard to go through these kinds of challenges on your own,” she said. “No kid should have to. I don’t know where I would be right now if it weren’t for Girl Scouts being the light in my life through one of my toughest times.”

This year, you can be part of that light. Be the one to support the upcoming 2026 Giving Challenge taking place April 15-16.

This year, you can #BeTheOne to help girls thrive.

The 2026 Giving Challenge is presented
by the Community Foundation of Sarasota
County with giving strengthened by The
Patterson Foundation.