Local Girl Scouts found themselves in a quandary when they were forced to cancel cookie booths due to concerns about the coronavirus. But while some in the community were calling it a “cookie crisis,” Girl Scouts saw an opportunity to turn lemons into Lemon-Ups™—and Thin Mints®, and Tagalongs®.

Troops from Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida will be donating their remaining cookie inventory to food pantries, healthcare workers, first responders, and other hometown heroes who are being particularly impacted during the national health emergency. The council will be picking up the tab, effectively buying back leftover cookies from their troops.

“Proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program provide essential funding for Girl Scout Troops to support their community service projects, troop trips, and other activities,” said Sasha Lioce, Product Program Manager for Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida. “The loss of revenue was putting stress on the girls and volunteers, so we decided to alleviate that stress while encouraging them to help others.”

“The girls are learning a meaningful lesson about the importance of giving back during times of crisis,” added council CEO Mary Anne Servian. “By donating their cookies, they are saying ‘thank you’ to those who are working exceptionally hard right now, and setting a positive example for the rest of the community.” 

The council also relies on cookie program revenue, which funds program scholarships, camp property maintenance, volunteer training, and other vital expenses. Donations to offset the program losses are being accepted at www.gsgcf.org through the “donate” tab.

Make a donation here.