Trailblazing women throughout American history have been at the forefront of sparking, building and evolving social movements—movements oriented toward sweeping social change, with others hyper-focused on pervasive injustices, like hunger and nutrition, or responsive to disparate humanitarian causes.
The impact, effectiveness and reach of organizations like Meals on Wheels and the American Red Cross—both of which were born from grassroots efforts—are the direct result of the contributions made by women.
Individuals like 107-year-old Meals on Wheels recipient Lenore Costello are an extension of this proud legacy. Her numerous accomplishments as an early architect of the Girl Scouts Heart of Florida Council are impressive by any measure, let alone for a woman navigating the American workforce in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, at the peak of the Women’s Rights Movement.
Lenore’s strength and determination demonstrate that women of her time could find success, lead, thrive and lay a foundation for other aspiring young leaders to assume their mantle.
Through sharing their stories, we honor their achievements and celebrate their commitment to being changemakers.
“The Maverick” and George
One of five girls, Lenore Costello was born Lenore Van Gundia in Sycamore, Ohio, a small village of 800 in Wyandot County, 60 miles West of Columbus.
At Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, Lenore became “Gundy,” a nickname she’s carried throughout her life, from her undergraduate days, where she studied sociology and biology, into retirement.
At the time, it was an unconventional educational path for a woman; Gundy, of course, would make a living out of being a Maverick.
“The college dean called me in one day because everybody in those days was taking elementary education,” Gundy recalls. “He said, ‘You have history. You have English, you have sociology. You have science. I don't understand what you're going to be.’”
Gundy didn’t know either.
She valued service to others and pursued a career in social work after paying her own way through the final three years of college. She received a scholarship for the first year and, at one point during the Great Depression, made 11 cents an hour working at the dime store.
During World War II, Gundy, serving as Ohio's Richland County Red Cross Executive Director in Mansfield, Ohio, met her late husband George, an employee of the national office of the Red Cross.
Before the war, the Red Cross sent George to the Philippines for six months to establish civil defense units. On the route home by ship, he passed through Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941— a day before Japan’s infamous surprise attack on Pearl Harbor—arriving in San Francisco on December 9.
George was later deployed a second time to the Philippines for 15 months to aid in the reconstruction of the Red Cross.
When he returned, the two married before the war ended on what Gundy describes as “a terrible, snowy night.” “Anybody that gets married in Ohio in December is crazy,” Gundy quips.
Their officiant, an alternate for the college president, who had a prior wedding engagement that evening, was the head of the Heidelberg University Religious Department and a Yale graduate school classmate of George. It was kismet.
That same night, they relocated to Winter Haven, Florida, George’s hometown, where she’s lived since, most of which spent in their modest lakeside home they purchased in 1947.
Gundy, the Girl Scout
In 1945, three years after Gundy settled in Winter Haven, Sarah Abernathy, who supervised five local Girl Scout troops, invited her to become a troop leader.
After some consideration, Gundy agreed to steward a troop of 32 girls to start, which eventually became 29. All of the young women were members of the distinguished Cypress Water Ski Team, including Adrian Pope, the daughter of Dick Pope, Sr. the founder of Cypress Water Theme Park, a family-owned theme park, Florida’s first tourist attraction. Gundy led the same troop through their high school graduation.
In 1950, the Girl Scouts-Heart of Florida Council was formed, encompassing five towns in the region: Winter Haven, Davenport, Lake Alfred and Haines City. Mary Spencer, the council's president, tapped Gundy to succeed their Executive Director, who was leaving for the Peace Corps.
She assumed the role on October 1, 1950, and retired on October 1, 1976— a span of 25 years during which she presided over the growth and expansion of the council to seven counties and 7,900 Girl Scouts. Today, the council has ballooned to more than 20,000 Girl Scouts.
Lenore is the oldest surviving Executive Director of the Council and the nation’s oldest Girl Scout.
Gundy’s legacy also includes the methodical acquisition of 420 acres of Woodlands to establish Camp Wildwood. In a years-long procurement process, Gundy levered a series of local relationships with business leaders, lenders and generous patrons, including a mystery donor who, in her will, bequeathed the council the amount needed to purchase a segment of the property.
Gundy’s efforts laid the literal groundwork for an investment now stretched to 600 acres. Today, the camp, serving the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, features eight sleeping units, a lodge, a pool, an archery range, an Equestrian barn, the Griffin Nature Center and an extensive offering of programs and activities.
Don’t let her meager appearance fool you. Gundy was a force. This is the same woman who marched into the offices of titans of business to ask for money— titans like George Jenkins, founder of Publix Super Markets, and Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., a prominent citrus producer, philanthropist and politician. Today, the University of Florida’s football stadium, of which he was an alum, still bears his name.
“I could walk into George Jenkins’ office and ask for money, and he always gave me exactly what I asked,” Gundy says of their relationship.
As a leader, Gundy had a “golden touch.” Anything or anyone she touched in her orbit flourished. You don’t have to look far to see her far-reaching impact. Her legacy as a Girl Scout, including her inspirational story, continues to shape generations of young women who aspire to be future leaders and perhaps one day follow in her footsteps.
Gundy and Meals on Wheels
In her quieter(ish) days, Gundy lives independently at home, knitting and watching the Tampa Bay Rays during baseball season and the Duke Blue Devils during college basketball season.
Gundy is a fierce, lifelong Blue Devils fan who one evening, three decades ago, turned down post-mastectomy pain treatment from the doctor and overnight nurse because it would make her too sleepy to watch her beloved Blue Devils compete in the NCAA tournament.
Fortunately, her Duke Blue Devils prevailed; the doctor returned the following morning to ask if she’d seen the game.
Gundy replied triumphantly, “Every last basket.”
It’s a love affair that runs deep. A handwritten correspondence on her fridge, dated April 27, 2017, from Coach K, Duke’s legendary coach, reads: “Your note was beautiful, and so was your picture: I appreciate your love and support,” Coach K.
Even now, she leaves a lasting impression on influential figures who recognize her tenacity and thoughtful dedication to cherished causes. The same steadfast spirit that enabled her to move mountains as a leader.
Of course, she’s learned that tenacity, in time, must give way to humbleness.
Two years ago, Gundy, who treasured her independence, faced a dilemma. Completing everyday tasks at her advanced age was increasingly challenging. Would she confront this reality alone or seek help from the community to whom she’d given so much?
“Every day I struggled to cook,” Gundy admits. “It is a struggle for me even to bake a pie or a cake. So I kept thinking about it. Finally, I got up enough nerve to call Meals on Wheels [of Polk County] to see if I was eligible.”
The decision was life-changing for the woman, who many might describe as a lovable bulldog.
These days, she receives Meals on Wheels deliveries three days a week—Monday, Wednesday and Friday)—a steady delivery schedule that enables her to regain some of her independence, stay nourished and streamline meal planning, particularly as cooking becomes more demanding every day.
“I like the food,” Gundy says. It's very well balanced, and sometimes, I have enough for the next day.”
She’s even developed a close relationship with volunteers John and Susan, a married couple and two long-time, influential Winter Haven residents who regularly deliver Gundy meals, religious scriptures to study and books; she particularly enjoys wartime novels, perhaps, because they provide a link to the past and so much of the history she’s witnessed and shaped.