Girl Scout cookie season begins on the Central Coast
–Last week, Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast launched the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season. Click here to look up the closest cookie location to you via your zip code. The Girl Scouts also have a cookie app available for iPhone and Android.
Throughout 2020, local girl scouts have created handmade masks to donate to hospitals, delivered cards and treats to frontline workers and first responders, and reinvigorated a sense of community during a time where so many felt lonely. Because 100-percent of the net revenue raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program stays with the local council and troops, many girls were able to use their earnings right in their own neighborhoods.
Through the cookie program, girls not only discover their inner leadership potential but also use their earnings to power amazing experiences for themselves and their troop, including travel, outdoor adventure, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming. Many girls put the money toward impactful community projects right in their own backyards, from supporting animal shelters and food banks to working with local and state legislators to change laws. And the cookie program’s benefits are many; a recent Girl Scout Research Institute study found that two out of three girls who participate in the program learn five crucial skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—while doing incredible things for themselves and their communities.
When consumers purchase the delicious cookies that come from a Girl Scout, they’re giving back to their wider community. From creating after-school programs to changing national legislation, Girl Scouts are doing remarkable things made possible by each and every cookie sale. In fact, Girl Scouts in San Luis Obispo County have already been using their earnings to make a positive impact right at home.
Troop 40002 from Arroyo Grande had often expressed concern for their unhoused community members and wondered how they could help. They decided as a troop to donate all the proceeds from the Fall Product Program to an organization that works with and helps the homeless. The girls donated $363 dollars to the local organization, Shower the People, which provides hot showers to the local homeless population or people in need. They do so with their mobile shower unit, which the girls were able to tour.
Additionally, Troop 45310 from across San Luis Obispo County visited the Turtle and Tortoise Sanctuary of Arroyo Grande, a 5-acre ranch housing rescued turtles, tortoises, and other animals. The girls got to tour the ranch and visit with the animals. They were excited to use their cookie program earnings to donate some items from the sanctuary’s wish list.
To learn more about the Girl Scout Cookie Program, visit www.girlscoutsccc.org/cookies.
