Girl Scout Troop 35579 Project: Pet Pantry for Woodland Park

Girl Scout Troop 35579 introduced an innovative idea by setting up a pet pantry at Portage’s Woodland Park dog park. This initiative follows the Little Free Library concept, where people can take or donate items as needed. The driving force behind this project was the escalating demand for assistance with pet food supplies.

“People have been asking for help with animals. They can’t afford food,” reported troop leader Karen Naumann from Portage. The main contributors to this project, Heidi O’Bannion of Lake Station and Serenity Nelson of Portage, embarked on this endeavor to achieve their Silver award. This accolade is the second-highest honor within the Girl Scouts. They successfully stocked the pet pantry on Friday, September 18, 2026.

The initial project began with four girls in 2024. Due to Naumann’s battle with cancer, the work was delayed. During this time, two members left the troop, leaving O’Bannion and Nelson to see the venture through to completion. Naumann communicated with Barb Lusco, the maintenance director of the parks department, for permission to place the pantry at the park. “When I first heard from you, I was like, oh my God, what a wonderful idea,” Lusco expressed.

“We were all trying to come up with an idea all together that we could all agree on,” said O’Bannion.

Among their project choices were bat boxes, bee houses, and butterfly habitats. After much research and planning, they settled on the pet pantry. The search for materials led them to a kit on Amazon. “We all sat there for a couple of hours and looked at all our phones,” mentioned O’Bannion.

To ensure durability against the harsh weather of Northwest Indiana, the pantry was made from plastic-coated wood. Naumann’s husband contributed by adding a latch to secure it. Assembling the pantry took roughly an hour, during which O’Bannion displayed confidence with the tools. “I’m a truck driver’s daughter,” she added.

The troop chose a variety of items to fill the pantry, including pet food, dog treats, tennis balls, and toys for cats. They acquired so much that some supplies were left over. Naumann, who frequently visits the park, stated, “I encourage people, too, if they want to bring stuff.”

The completion of the pet pantry was celebrated with the presence of Mayor Austin Bonta, who joined Naumann, Lusco, and the troop members at the park. Bonta praised the initiative, saying, “This is great. This is exactly the kind of stuff we get excited about.”

O’Bannion highlighted that pet pantries were not very common. “There aren’t many pet pantries,” she remarked. Although initially intended for dogs, they included items for cats as well. O’Bannion pointed out, “There’s people that own dogs and cats. There were multiple animals to pick from.” Nelson humorously declined the suggestion of including a pet pantry for snakes, quipping, “I would actually throw up.”