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Girl Scouts expand Mason’s Comet Cupboard food program; Dorothy Lane partnership adds perishables
Summary
A Mason Girl Scout troop told the school board the Comet Cupboard — a school food and basic-needs pantry that began as the Western Row backpack program — now serves roughly 200 students per week across multiple school sites and has added perishable food through a partnership with Dorothy Lane Market; leaders said they distributed 1,200 loaves of
Members of Mason Girl Scout Troop 4405 briefed the Mason City Schools Board of Education on Monday about the Comet Cupboard, a district-based food and basic-needs pantry the troop runs for students.
The troop said the program began as the Western Row backpack program in 2018, was renamed the Comet Cupboard in 2019, and has expanded to additional cupboards at Mason High School (added 2021), Mason Middle School (2022) and MECC (2024). Callie, a troop member, said the program now serves “around 200 every week.”
Anvita, another troop member, described a new partnership with Dorothy Lane Market that supplies perishable items — bread, milk, bananas, cheese and similar goods — which the troop distributes at Mason Intermediate and at the district central building. The troop reported it gave out about 1,200 loaves of bread at a recent Saturday distribution.
The Comet Cupboard’s services include weekly food packs, rotating monthly entree packs, hygiene items, spirit wear, coats and a clothing boutique at the high school. The troop also provides birthday bags and classroom Valentine’s Day cards so students can participate in celebrations, and it distributes recipe kits with both ingredients and recipe cards so families can prepare meals at home.
Troop leaders said the cupboard grew through partnerships with local nonprofits such as Shine Like Sable and Crossroads and that volunteers fuel day-to-day operations. The troop also said it is undertaking an advocacy project to address literacy: members asked the Mason Schools Foundation to help supply books in weekend food packs for third- through sixth-grade students, citing research that links low access to books with lower literacy outcomes.
The troop asked the board and the community to help by volunteering to pack food, making financial donations, and participating in a first annual Spooktacular costume 5K (planned for Oct. 18) with proceeds going to support the Comet Cupboard and partner organizations.
Board members thanked the Girl Scouts and district staff for supporting students and families and praised the program’s growth from a small closet to a multi-site operation. The district did not vote on new funding during the presentation; trustees encouraged community members to volunteer and support the troop’s fundraising efforts.
