Thank local heroes for all they do to help our community cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

ORLANDO (June 3, 2020) – With just a few weeks left in the 2020 Girl Scout Cookie Program, girls and troops across Central Florida suddenly found themselves facing an unlikely dilemma. The spread of COVID-19 had led the local council, Girl Scouts of Citrus (GSC), to cancel all Girl Scout activities until further notice – including cookie booths. 

It was a difficult decision, one that impacted nearly 18,000 girl and adult members across six Central Florida counties, “We had been monitoring the situation and knew our decision would not be popular with everyone. Weekend camp trips were cancelled, troops were advised to suspend meeting in person and, of course, those final few weeks of cookie sales were brought to a halt,” said Maryann Barry, CEO of Girl Scouts of Citrus.

Girls and troops are adapting well to this new normal, taking advantage of virtual Girl Scout programming, provided through All Things Girl Scouts, and troops are meeting through online video platforms. But with nearly 24,000 boxes of cookies still sitting in homes and cookie cupboards across the region, girls were beginning to worry about how they would fund future troop activities, such as outdoor adventures, community service projects, and those broader experiences that build leadership skills. 

“In retrospect we made the right decision,” says Barry. “But now that stay at home restrictions have been relaxed, and knowing that girls, families and troops need to sell their cookie inventory, GSC has extended cookie sales through the summer.”  In addition to extending troop sales, GSC also implemented a pandemic cookie relief transfer program to help those troops left holding five or more cases of cookies. Those cookies are now available for sale by the case to businesses and community supporters. Purchases can be delivered to local businesses or donated to the GSC Cookies for Heroes program. Cookies for Heroes will deliver cookies to those local heroes who have stood by their communities during these trying times – first responders, local hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes, essential workers, and military men and women.

For more information on how you can support Cookies for Heroes, call or email GSC customer care at 1-800-367-3906 or customercare@citrus-gs.org.

Funds earned from the Girl Scout Cookie Program remain local and provide life-changing experiences and adventure. Girls who participate develop essential life skills such as goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. All while soaring in confidence and practicing leadership the Girl Scout way.

About Girl Scouts of Citrus – The leading organization for girls in Central Florida, Girl Scouts creates opportunities for girls to discover their own potential, connect with peers and adult mentors, and take action in big ways. Founded in 1956, the Girl Scouts of Citrus serves approximately 11,000 girls and 6,500 adult volunteers from six Central Florida counties: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia. Learn more about Girl Scouts of Citrus at www.citrus-gs.org.