Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Olympia High School senior Jenna Richman has been in the Girl Scouts since she was in first grade. This year she completed her Gold Award project to receive her Girl Scout Gold Award - the highest award a Girl Scout can attain, equivalent to Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts.

Her proud parents, Scott and Gwen Richman, are well-known in the community as Scott is a former president of both the Roth JCC and Rosen JCC board of directors, and Gwen is a former PAC chair at the Rosen JCC Preschool and Volunteer of the Year at the Rosen JCC.

Jenna is a graduate of the Rosen JCC preschool, and for her project she chose to build a community garden at the Rosen JCC. The garden is to be used as part of the curriculum for the preschool as the children learn about the seasons, food and gardening.  It is also hoped that once COVID is gone, the seniors will be able to help tend to the garden, which is primarily being tended to now by the children in J Academy, the Rosen JCC after school youth program.

Volunteers helping Jenna build the frames, and filling them with soil.

In order to raise funds for her project, Jenna received a donation from the Rosen Foundation, as well as grants from the Kiwanis Club of South Orlando and the Dr. Phillips Rotary Club. Jenna also held a car wash fundraiser. With the funds raised, she was able to pay for the entire project, plus make a donation to the Rosen JCC for the future care and use of the garden, and to help fund related projects at the preschool, including programs about composting and recycling.  Jenna also took a course at Leu Gardens on how to build a community garden in order to prepare for the project. 

Reuben Romirowsky, CEO of the Rosen JCC, was integral in helping Jenna see this project to fruition.

"What impresses me so much about Jenna is her tenacity and demeanor," Romirowsky told the Heritage. "She had to navigate numerous hurdles to meet the Girl Scout criteria, and then recruit her peers to be as engaged in the community garden project as she was. Jenna was always able to see the big picture, and not get frustrated by anything along the way. She possesses many of the qualities that make for a great leader"

The garden is currently growing tomatoes, broccoli, celery, lettuce, eggplant, peppers and more. Once ripe, the crops are planned to be harvested and donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank.