b'She says there are many families in the com-munity who are food-insecure. This means they do not have enough money to buy the food they need. Each year, the rooftop garden provides 500 pounds of food to about 200 families, according to Ms. Chawaga. In 2016, while working at the Montgomery Illustration by Joanne Wilson, eighth grade,County Health Department, she created the St. Martin de Porres Healthy SaintJunior Inspector Program at the Elmwood Park Zoo. It was the most favorite program I have ever done, says Ms. Chawaga. shes now helping to learn healthy-living habits Visitors can pick up a logbook containing a code,will keep this mindset in the future and become which they can crack by walking the half milerole models in society. around the zoo to find the meaning behind theI am building a healthier future by helpingnumbers, she explains. Posted along the pathsother people and making sure they are healthy, are fun, healthy messages to read. Those she says. who complete the task are awarded JuniorInspector badges. By Healthy Panther staff Ms. Chawaga says it took years to get money Eisenhower Science and Technologyto create the program. At first, it was not suc- Leadership Academycessful, but a group made up of kids offered the best suggestions for change. Now, participation has nearly doubled, and 20,020 passports wereMs. Chawaga encourages children to plant distributed in 2019. their own gardens and eat more vegetables. The zoo program is a great example of not When I was a child, I did not like to try new giving up and overcoming challenges to achievethings, but I opened my mind as I got older, your goal, says Ms. Chawaga. she says. She suggests starting off with green beans because they are easy to grow.She says she hopes that the young people11'