For Madison Marsh, community service has never been about checking a box. It started with Girl Scouts and brown-bag lunches in elementary school, but over the years it has grown into a commitment that now spans multiple organizations and countless hours spent helping others.

The 17-year-old Swampscott High School senior has spent nearly a decade preparing and delivering lunches to My Brother’s Table in Lynn. Marsh estimates that she has helped make or deliver more than 500 brown bag lunches since she first became involved around fifth grade.

Every other month, Marsh and her family buy groceries and prepare about 25 lunches at their home in Nahant before delivering them to the soup kitchen. It’s a years old tradition, and one that Marsh has kept alive even after her years as a Girl Scout.

“I didn’t want to stop because I felt like it was really like me,” Marsh said. “My family all did it together, and it’s kind of like a bonding thing. … They’ve always instilled those types of values in me from a young age: the importance of volunteerism and giving your time to worthy causes and organizations.”

Marsh said delivering the lunches has given her a firsthand look at the growing need in the community.

“I just see the number of people increase each year,” she said. “It really gets me emotional, and I think it’s very fulfilling to help them.”

While Marsh volunteers to fulfill requirements for CCD and the National Honors Society, the hours she puts in have gone above and beyond those commitments. In addition to bagging lunches, Marsh also spends her Sundays volunteering with the Challenger Little League in Lynn, serving as a buddy for children and adults with disabilities.

Having played Little League herself as a child, Marsh said she enjoys helping participants experience the game while offering encouragement and friendship throughout each weekend session. One participant in particular has left a lasting impression.

“I have a really close little girl I met this year; her name’s Olivia. She just totally brightens my day every time I see her,” Marsh said. “Sometimes she gets bored of playing baseball, so we’ll just go out in the field, and we’ll talk, just like girl to girl. It’s the sweetest thing ever.”

Outside of volunteering, Marsh competes in indoor and outdoor track, running the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×400-meter relay. She has qualified for the state divisional meet in each of her first three years of high school and said she first took up the sport because her grandmother loved running and inspired her to compete.

As she prepares for her senior year, Marsh said she hopes to study law in college before eventually attending law school and becoming an attorney. But no matter where that path leads, she expects service to remain a part of her life.

“Definitely my empathy has grown a lot,” she said. “Seeing all these big families, how much the parents go through, it’s truly emotionally draining. I’m just happy to be there to help.”