A Place for Peace
Local Girl Scout Creates Prayer Garden for Her Community
Story by Stephanie Meyer
Photos by Michael Helms
When 17-year-old Addison Ellis steps into the quiet space behind Marvin United Methodist Church in Lincolnton, she sees more than the prayer and meditation garden she built; she sees a sanctuary for anyone seeking calm, clarity, or support. Designed not only as a peaceful place for reflection and prayer, the garden also serves as a gentle entry point to mental health resources.
This thoughtful blend of serenity and support helped Addison, a member of Girl Scout Troop 20740, earn the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award—the highest honor in Girl Scouts and equivalent to the Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts. Sponsored by First United Methodist Church in Lincolnton, Troop 20740 has long fostered young leaders, and Addison’s project stands out for both its beauty and its compassion.
The idea stemmed from Addison’s deep interest in design and her awareness of how widespread mental health challenges are. When she learned that her Gold Award project needed to address a global concern, she recognized that mental health—impacting an estimated 1.1 billion people worldwide—was an issue close to her heart. A prayer and meditation garden that also quietly connects people to help and hope felt like the perfect way to make a meaningful, lasting impact.
“I know a lot of people who have struggled with mental health,” Addison says. “I want to be able to give a little help to the people out there who need it.”
The prayer and meditation garden she envisioned would provide just that: a serene, welcoming place for reflection, prayer, and quiet moments of peace. In addition to designing the garden herself, down to the materials, layout, and focal points, Addison added a discreet box stocked with pamphlets offering mental health resources in Lincoln County.
Her favorite part of the project was the design phase, but the hardest part, she admits, was keeping her motivation during such a time-consuming undertaking. Like many teenagers, Addison has a full schedule; she is heavily involved in marching band, which keeps her calendar full. Working through every step of a major service project was a true challenge.
“I loved just being able to create my own thing,” she explains. “I liked being able to pick materials and figure out how it would all look. But the planning, budgeting, fundraising, marketing, I had to do all of that, and it was hard.”
But Addison didn’t walk the journey alone. She had a project advisor through the church, and family members stepped in with support. Her uncle, a professional landscaper, offered guidance. Her father, who owns a logging business, crafted the solid-wood cross that now stands as the centerpiece of the garden. Members of Troop 20740 and additional volunteers were permitted to assist, though Addison completed the majority of the labor herself—another requirement of the Gold Award.
To fund the project, she set up a social media fundraising campaign, with donations coming from her church, community members, the Elks Lodge in Hickory, and even from her fellow Girl Scouts. Word of mouth helped the project gain local attention, and steadily, piece by piece, Addison watched her vision take shape.
Her mother, Audra Ellis, has no shortage of pride.
“My husband and I are very supportive of our kids,” she says. “They’re both very active in different activities, both are band kids. I tell them, “if you’re going to do something, go all the way.”
And Addison certainly did. Not only did she earn her Gold Award, but she also qualified for the Trifecta Award—a rare distinction given only to Girl Scouts who achieve the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.
Today, the prayer and meditation garden at Marvin United Methodist Church stands not only as Addison’s legacy, but as an open invitation for anyone in need of spiritual, emotional, or mental healing.
Visit the Prayer and Meditation Garden at Marvin United Methodist Church:
2731 Startown Road in Lincolnton, NC
If someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to one of the following:
- National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Partners 24/7 Crisis Line: 888-235-4673