When the members of Girl Scout Troop 1211 got together to plan this year’s cookie program, they made a couple of goals. They talked about how many boxes of cookies they wanted to sell, and they brainstormed community service projects and activities they could fund using their cookie money. They also decided that they would donate some cookies to the men and women serving on the USS Eisenhower through Gift of Caring, a national community service project through which Girl Scouts ask customers to buy extra cookies to donate to their chosen cause. The last decision was an easy one for the troop members. A majority of the girls in the troop have a family member who serves in the military, including Hannah, whose father is an officer on the USS Eisenhower.
 |
| Dani. Rebecca, Megan, Nicole and Hannah |
On Tuesday, March 15, the troop members packed up the nearly 100 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies that they had sold through Gift of Caring and headed to Naval Station Norfolk, where they boarded the USS Eisenhower and distributed cookies to the sailors. The girls had worked diligently all cookie season asking customers to donate cookies, and they were proud to see their hard work pay off as their cookies brought smiles to the faces of everyone who received them.
“The sailors were very happy to receive the cookies,” Marisol Chontos, the leader of Girl Scout Troop 1211, said. “The girls enjoy delivering the Gift of Caring cookies that they sell, and they will definitely not forget this experience.”
After giving out the cookies, Hannah's father brought the girls on a tour of the Eisenhower. For the girls, the tour was an eye-opening experience, as they got a glimpse of what it is like to live on a ship. The Eisenhower will soon be deploying for at least six months, and after visiting the ship, the girls were even more satisfied that they were able to perform a nice gesture for the sailors.
Last year, Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina donated more than 20,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to members of the military through Gift of Caring. On April 9, Girl Scouts will be taking over the plaza outside of Scope in Norfolk to load approximately 19,000 boxes of cookies into a truck to donate to Soldiers’ Angels, an organization that provides aid and comfort to men and women in the military, their families and the growing veteran population.
girl scouts of the colonial coast
