It’s a cookie lover’s favorite time of year: local Girl Scouts will begin selling their beloved treats online and outside of Brooklyn storefronts on Thursday.
From Feb. 1 until the end of April, Daisies, Brownies, Juniors and more will be collecting orders for Thin Mints, Samoas and other fan favorites through the organization’s digital storefront and the old-fashioned way — from their in-person booths found outside local shops.
According to Ashleigh Flanagan, a local scout and Brooklyn’s top seller last season, this time of year is about celebrating sisterhood, spending time with friends and learning the importance of serving the community.
“Being a top Girl Scout cookie seller gives my troop the money to do the activities we want to do, such as going to the Statue of Liberty, camping, and gardening,” she said. “We also get to buy and donate needed supplies to our local homeless shelter with the funds that we raise from cookie sales.”
Some proceeds from the cookie sales go towards Troop 6000, a first-of-its-kind program launched in 2017. Troops work together to serve families living in temporary housing in the New York City shelter system. This past year, they expanded to serve the influx of asylum-seekers that came into the city.
Locals can also support the girls by donating boxes to the Gift of Caring program, which will redistribute the cookies to neighboring food pantries, providing a pick-me-up to families facing food insecurity.
Meridith Maskara, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater New York, said through selling treats, the girls learn essential soft skills including goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics and servanthood.
“Every year, Girl Scouts across all five boroughs of New York City get to showcase their own businesses and learn how to deal with money, all while making new friends and meeting new people during Girl Scout Cookie Season,” Maskara said in a statement. “I’m always so proud to see girls challenge themselves to reach new heights through their cookie goals. They always rise to the occasion and show off what it means to be a Girl Scout.”
