After taking a summer programming course for Girls Who Code in her sophomore year, current senior Armina Mayya had the idea of creating an app that helps the homeless in order to  earn her Gold Award as a Girl Scout. 

 Mayya, a member of Girl Scout Troop 61657, began coding the app for West Valley Community Services. 

Two years later, the final product helps homeless people see what food is available in the pantries of organizations dedicated to helping them as well as what beds are open at shelters. Through the app, she has also earned her Gold Award, which according to the Girl Scouts website, is the most prestigious award that Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors can earn.

Mayya is in the process of getting it approved by Apple and Google, after which it will be available for download on the App Store and Google Play. 

As a first grader, Mayya joined the Girl Scouts in an effort to make friends at her new school, Argonaut Elementary. 

“Throughout middle school, as my troop took part in more journeys and became more actively involved, we bonded with each other. In executing community service projects with my friends, I got more invested in Girl Scouts,” Mayya said. 

In her years as a Girl Scout, Mayya has won a few awards including the Bronze Award in elementary school and the Silver Award with her troop in her sophomore year. 

 This award is given to girls whose project creates a lasting impact on their community. Other recipients have written books or taught a class for people in the community.

For her app, Mayya worked with West Valley Community Services, a nonprofit organization that helps low income families get back on their feet.

She began working on the project the summer after her sophomore year, and spent a total of 80 hours designing and developing it. Mayya learned a lot about coding in the process of the work.

Mayya said she will continue to update and change the app as needed, but as a member of the school WiSTEM club, she plans to hand the project off to younger members once she graduates.

In addition to learning coding through the project, Mayya said she improved her communication skills, especially when reaching out to professionals for help. She learned how to lead a project from start to finish and stay determined and focused when confronting challenges.

“We’re in Silicon Valley, and there’s so much technology around. We focus on advancing technology, but we aren’t helping the homeless,” Mayya said. “I just want to bring that together and use the knowledge I have to help.”