Abigail Berkowitz {Littles Photography}
Parkland resident Abigail Berkowitz was among 22 young women recognized with the 2026 Girl Scouts Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, for a community service project focused on addressing pet food insecurity in South Florida.
Berkowitz, a senior at Donna Klein Jewish Academy, earned the prestigious award for her project, “Impact of Food Insecurity on Pets,” which highlighted the growing challenge many families face in feeding their pets amid rising living costs.
According to Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, Berkowitz learned that more than one million people in South Florida experience food insecurity due to inflation, low wages and increasing housing costs. The issue also extends to pets, with pet food prices rising more than 33% since 2019. National research estimates that 30 million pets face hunger each year.
To address the problem, Berkowitz developed a program that encourages existing food pantries to establish pet food pantries and educates residents about the challenges faced by pet owners struggling to afford food for their animals. Because Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits cannot be used to purchase pet food, some owners resort to feeding pets table scraps or surrendering them to already overcrowded shelters.
Through partnerships with Royal Palm Christian Church, the Parkland Library, the Rotary Club of Coral Springs/Parkland and Nova Southeastern University, Berkowitz delivered presentations to community members about the issue. Surveys conducted after the presentations found that more than 90% of attendees reported a greater understanding of pet food insecurity, while more than 75% said they would support pet food pantry initiatives in the future.
Berkowitz was honored during the annual Gold Award Ceremony held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Deerfield Beach, where Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida recognized 22 recipients from Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River counties.
The Gold Award is presented to Girl Scouts in grades 9-12 who demonstrate leadership and create sustainable solutions to community challenges. Only about 5% of eligible Girl Scouts nationwide earn the distinction.
This year’s Gold Award recipients completed projects addressing issues such as literacy, mental health, breast cancer awareness, concussion education, autism awareness, endometriosis awareness, food insecurity, foster care and environmental sustainability.
Collectively, the projects contributed more than 2,500 community service hours and impacted thousands of people locally and internationally.
“I am impressed by the determination and creativity the Gold Award Class of 2026 demonstrated through their projects,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “Their community collaborations are remarkable, showing everyone the power of partnerships.”
Johnson said earning the Gold Award represents a significant milestone in a Girl Scout’s journey and showcases leadership, vision and commitment that will benefit recipients throughout their academic and professional careers.
The 2026 Gold Award Ceremony was sponsored by HCA Florida Healthcare, Amazon, Florida Power & Light and Publix Super Markets Charities, with Tula Hudson-Miller serving as a table sponsor.
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