Thursday, March 31, 2016

Local Girl Scouts Donate 7,488 Boxes of Cookies to Military

(L-R) Steve and Dianne Moore of Soldiers' Angels stand in front of a truck with 624 cases of cookies that were packed with the help of Girl Scouts of North-Central staff members Jeremy Gordinier, Amy Thomas, Mamie Littrell, Erin Bentley, Kasani Bell and Elizabeth Tucker. 

Ending the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program on a high note, Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama donated 624 cases of Girl Scout Cookies to Soldiers’ Angels, an organization that provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, their families and a growing veteran population.

The donations were gathered as a part of the Operation: Cookie Care Package campaign, where consumers could donate boxes of cookies to Soldiers’ Angels from local Girl Scouts. There are 12 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in each case, so nearly 7,500 boxes of donated cookies purchased by people in North-Central Alabama will be delivered to various military personnel by Soldiers’ Angels.

Steve Moore of Soldiers' Angels packs a truck
with Girl Scout Cookies.
"Every service member who is deployed appreciates a gift from home but there’s nothing like Girl Scout Cookies,” said Karen Peterlin, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama and retired US Army veteran.  

“I can vividly remember cases of Thin Mints that arrived crushed. A soldier who was a former Girl Scout came to the rescue with bowls and ice cream to make Thin Mint sundaes! Talk about some happy soldiers.”

Giving back to the community is a main tenant of the Girl Scout Cookie Program. As a part of the 5 Skills that girls acquire through the program, troops are encouraged to set goals before the program begins. Most troops in North-Central Alabama set a goal to give back to their local community, whether that’s something like donating to their local animal shelter or using proceeds earned through the Program to clean up their local park.

“We are so grateful to each person who donated boxes of Girl Scout Cookies for our military personnel,” Peterlin said. “You’ve made a difference in the lives of those who serve us, as well as the girls who are growing to be tomorrow’s leaders.”

About Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama

We're over 13,000 strong—9,500 girls and 3,800 adults in 36 counties in the state of Alabama who believe girls can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, who believed in the power of every girl. She organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and every year since, we've made her vision a reality, helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents.


Today we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama is a United Way partner. To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit www.girlscoutsnca.org or call 800-734-4541.