[00:00:00] Supriya: We all know we need to eat healthier, but how can we eat healthier? And so I was really looking at it and I was like, how can I attract these people to try new recipes to make the foods that they make at home, but healthier?
[00:00:15] Walter: The Hearts of Gold Podcast is brought to you by the Grow and Share Network, produced by Off the Walter Media.
[00:00:23] Sheryl: Welcome to Hearts of Gold. Today we have Supriya with us. Hi Supriya.
[00:00:29] Supriya: Hi.
[00:00:30] Sheryl: Can you tell us about your Girl Scout Gold Award project?
[00:00:34] Supriya: Yeah, so my Girl Scout Gold Award project is named Heartbeat for Healthy. So essentially what Heartbeat for Healthy does, it’s these nutrition sessions for lower income communities.
[00:00:45] So we partner with these facilities and we physically go there and essentially what we do is we have a PowerPoint with all these nutrients listed out, and we kind of walk them through this recipe. So like, okay, here’s all these health benefits of this recipe. And we kind of try to entice them. We’re like, look, it’s great for your brain.
[00:01:06] It’s great for your heart. And so we really try to make sure that they understand why this is healthy. And we also do a taste testing after that. So we have them try the recipe so they can see, okay, do I like this or do I not like, This, and most of the time we find that most people really, really like the recipes that we make, which is always a great thing to hear, of course.
[00:01:28] And on the recipe card that we give them, we have a list of the prices, so we always make sure that it’s affordable for them. Usually the subtotal of all the ingredients on the recipe is less than $10. So it’s something that’s very affordable for them, and we try to make sure that they understand what our goal is, is that they try to make this recipe instead of, you know, getting a burrito at Taco Bell.
[00:01:53] So we always try to see, okay, this is what typical burrito at Taco Bell costs versus this very healthy, nutritious, affordable recipe that you can make. In your everyday household. So that’s kind of what we do. We’ve done over 30 sessions in both California and in Texas combined. We have multiple branches.
[00:02:13] We are a nonprofit organization, so it’s been really great to see it grow from, you know, the seed in my mind to the organization that it is today. How do you choose your. You know, my team and I, we really work through it and we think about, okay, what is this community more likely to eat? You know, and what are some recipes that they might not be familiar with, but that we think that they might like based on their palate?
[00:02:40] So we kind of, you know, brainstorm things that we like, and we’re like, okay, how can I make this healthier? So, I remember one time we made these Asian chicken lettuce cups, which my friend actually Darlene Chen, she’s one of the people that I work with. She was like, you know, my, my family and I, we make
[00:02:56] this sometimes. And so it kind of starts, you know, just us discussing it. Sometimes we also ask for, for feedback from the people that you know, the facilities that we, we go to, we ask the session attendees like, Hey, what’s something that you wanna see? Next time we hear like pizza? We’re like, okay, let’s try to make some healthy pizza then.
[00:03:15] So we kind of use a bunch of collaborative efforts to try to figure out, okay, how can we, you know, make something that they’ll actually try.
[00:03:24] Sheryl: And how do you choose the communities that you go into to share these recipes?
[00:03:28] Supriya: We usually have like a long list. You know, we have a huge Excel sheet of pretty much, you know, if we’re in this town, we’re like, okay, let’s figure out all the areas that have food deserts.
[00:03:39] You know, they don’t have the proper access to good, healthy, nutritious food where there’s possibly a lot of fast food restaurants. And then we reach out to, you know, residential neighborhoods. Or certain, you know, afterschool childhood childcare facilities. So we reach out to a lot of different places and we’re like, Hey, this is kind of what we do.
[00:04:00] Are you interested in partnering with us? And that’s kind of how we, you know, we try to. Maximize the amount of places that we go to.
[00:04:09] Sheryl: So what was the core that prompted this in the very beginning that encouraged you to choose this for your Gold Award project?
[00:04:16] Supriya: I’m a pre-med student, so back in high school before, you know, I got to college, I was really interested in kind of getting my, you know, hands-on as much healthcare experience as I can.
[00:04:27] And I was interning at this medical. and you know, when you intern at these medical clinics, you’re kind of, you know, trying to absorb as much knowledge as you can. So I was just, you know, checking in all these patients. And a lot of the concerns that they were coming in with were very much nutrition based.
[00:04:46] Like the doctor would say, oh, eat healthier, you know, and it’s a great thought, like, eat healthier. We all know we need to eat healthier, but how can we eat healthier? And so I was really looking at it and I was like, how can I. Attract these people to try new recipes to make the foods that they make at home, but healthier.
[00:05:04] And you know, I also realized that there was a Taco Bell, like five or six minutes away, and so some of these people would walk in with Taco Bell. I was like, well, that’s not very healthy, you know? So I was thinking, okay, how can I address this problem? So I really thought about it first. I started off with pamphlets, so you know, I was like, okay, let’s have these healthy pamphlets of just how to be healthier.
[00:05:27] You know? I thought, you know, I was winning a Nobel Prize for that, and I thought it was genius idea, and I went to my Girl Scout liaison and she was like, Supriya that’s not sustainable. That’s not something that people would actually. Think about and make that change in their life, you know? And she was like, how many times have you picked up a pamphlet and have actually, yeah, you’ve maybe read it through, but I don’t think you’re using that information in your day-to-day life.
[00:05:51] And I was like, that’s true. So I came up with the idea of offering these recipes and making them affordable and healthy so that they know how to make it On our recipe cards, we have a step-by-step you know how to make the recipe while also having all the ingredients and making sure that it’s affordable. So it kind of started off as seeing an issue in my community and it grew into, okay, let’s make a large scale impact.
[00:06:18] Sheryl: And you started in your community, as you said, and have expanded to where you go to college now with a second cohort. How did that transition happen?
[00:06:29] Supriya: I kept looking out for, how can I bring heartbeat into Baylor because I do go to Baylor University. And so I was very interested in that and I was like, okay, how can I find the right people who are interested in my mission while also making sure that we can help people here?
[00:06:45] You know, because sometimes you think of an idea in one place and it works really well for that one place, and then you transition it over and then you know, there are a lot of logistic things to work through. So I really. Thought about it and I was like, okay, I, I put together a great team of girls and we all work together to kind of essentially convince the Waco community that we are interested in helping them.
[00:07:09] And you know, we reached out to many, many different places. And of course, sometimes people don’t take you seriously cuz they don’t know who you are. But you know, you find those one or two people who do take you seriously and then you work with them and then that way you can build your resume in that community.
[00:07:25] And so more people are interested in working with you.
[00:07:27] Sheryl: What are you looking at for the future of your organization?
[00:07:32] Supriya: I plan to expand wherever I can and I plan to expand more in California as well, of course in the Texas community. And then I’m working towards expanding globally, but that’s kind of, you know, an inch by inch trek.
[00:07:45] So, you know, I really wanna make sure we can hone down what we have in the places that we’re at, and then maybe see if that’s something that we can take to a global level.
[00:07:55] Sheryl: Who has helped you through this process? Who is on your team?
[00:07:59] Supriya: I’ve had, you know, of course my incredible parents who have supported me along the way.
[00:08:02] I think it’s very important to have people who, you know, are on your side who maybe not be directly involved with the organization, but be, you know, mental support and you know, things like that. So definitely my mom and dad. So I have an amazing team. So we have the General Heartbeat team, so it’s myself and two other girls, Darlene and Sophia.
[00:08:23] So I work with them on a day-to-day basis. And then also I have the people that I work with, you know, at Baylor to kind of make heartbeat work there as well. So we work in different locations. There are different teams, but we all have the same mission. And I think that’s why it works so seamlessly is because we all know what we set out to do and we all know what we want to do.
[00:08:46] Sheryl: You did not join Girl Scouts as a daisy. Can you share what prompted you to join and when you joined Girl Scouts?
[00:08:54] Supriya: Actually, joining Girl Scouts was a decision that I made. This happened around 2015. I was really interested in joining, you know, an organization that does community service. That was something I was very passionate about.
[00:09:05] Even as a seventh grader, I knew that I wanted to be part of the organization that does that, so that I can continue that for the rest of my life. Cuz I strongly believed, which I know it’s a little weird, but as a seventh grader I knew. , whatever I did in that year was kind of like stepping stones for my future.
[00:09:23] So I definitely was looking into organizations and what I really loved about Girl Scouts was there was that finish, you know, there was that start to finish situation and you work with them over and over again for so many years. You know, I had an amazing troop leader, Ms. Kelly Black, and you know, she encouraged me.
[00:09:42] She helped build my confidence and that was something that I don’t think joining any other community service organization would’ve done because they care about you. Stay with you. They encourage you. And honestly, I can say that my confidence was really built by being in Girl Scouts. You know, because I had to do public service speeches, and I feel like that encouraged me to pursue my silver award and my gold award, which I don’t think I could have done without the foundation that my troop leader and my troop set for me.
[00:10:15] Sheryl: What other Girl Scout experiences have you had?
[00:10:17] Supriya: Yeah, so I did my Silver Award and Gold award. I also did all the journeys. We did some, you know, community service projects when I was part of the troupe. Last year in May, 2022, I was invited back to speak at a Girl Scout award ceremony. As you know, their featured speaker for being a Gold Award recipient.
[00:10:38] So that’s been an amazing experience. I was so glad that I was invited to speak and you know, I love speaking to other girls about my Girl Scout Gold award experience because I think it’s a very unique experience to have and you know, I wanna encourage as many girls as possible to, to take that journey.
[00:10:57] It’s very daunting at first, but it always gets easier and it’s amazing journey to go through.
[00:11:04] Sheryl: You mentioned that you’re on the pre-med track at Baylor. What are you looking at in your future?
[00:11:09] Supriya: I aspire to be a physician, so that’s definitely a goal in my mind. I think being part of Heartbeat and you know, seeing the issues that people in a healthcare setting face has really impacted the way that I view how I want.
[00:11:24] A physician in the future. And so that’s definitely why the entire idea of heartbeat came from seeing this issue in a healthcare setting. So when I do become, you know, a physician in the future, hopefully fingers crossed, I can, you know, use what I learned from Heartbeat as kind of a stepping stone, you know, into what I aspire to do in the future.
[00:11:47] Sheryl: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the audience?
[00:11:49] Supriya: As a girl scout, you know, a lot of the things you think that you should do, it has to come from you. You can’t have a parent or a leader or anyone around you, you know, encourage you to do something. It has to come from you. When I was doing my awards, it came from because I wanted to make a change in this world.
[00:12:10] I wanted to make an impact. So I think it’s very important. To have a voice and to use your voice to make a change. You know, you might not fix the problem, but you can help alleviate the problem. You know, you, you can’t solve all the problems in the world, but take one and try to help it, you know, try to help solve it.
[00:12:31] So I think that’s definitely something I would tell my girl Scouts and also have, you know, confidence in what you’re saying. I think that’s very important. A lot of the times people won’t take you seriously. You know, most of the time when you’re doing. Anything in life, you’re always gonna be the bottom of the totem pole.
[00:12:47] So I think making sure that people hear your voice and understand what you’re saying and tell them, no, I’m here to stay. And you know, you can’t force me to think otherwise. So never put yourself in a box that everyone in society wants to put you in.
[00:13:04] Sheryl: How do you make your s’mores?
[00:13:06] Supriya: I actually personally don’t like s’mores, which I know is a controversial opinion.
[00:13:10] I like the s’mores cookies. That’s the only s’mores I like. But I do make s’mores for my brother cuz he likes the way I make them. Because, you know, when I was a girl Scout we did learn, you know, special ways to make s’mores. So I, I had m and ms to my s’mores and I don’t eat them, but I give them to my brother.
[00:13:28] Sheryl: I have not heard m and ms before. That’s interesting. Well, thanks for joining us today.
[00:13:33] Supriya: Thank you so much.
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[00:13:44] Walter: Thank you for listening. If you’d like to be on the show to share your story of how you earned your gold award, reach out and send an email to growandshare@outlook.com.
[00:13:55] Be sure to catch up on our previous shows on any of your favorite podcasting platforms, as well as view the full video versions@youtube.com/SherylMrobinson. Thanks again for listening and we’ll see you next time.