girl scouts of the colonial coast |
| Kristen with GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller |
It’s a big year for Kristen, a Suffolk Girl Scout. She’s a high school senior busy with classes, college applications and
scholarship forms. She also holds an afterschool job and is an active member of
her church. And now, she’s gearing up for her annual business venture—Girl
Scout Cookie season. She’s excited about being able to sell cookies during the
100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies and giving
customers a chance to taste the new anniversary cookie—the Girl Scout S’mores
cookie.
For the last five years, Kristen has been the top Girl Scout
Cookie seller in Suffolk. Last year, she sold 1,304 boxes of the sweet treats.
This year, her last year as a Girl Scout, she has set her sights high and set a
goal to sell 3,000 boxes of cookies.
“I am planning to go to more cookie booths than ever before
this year,” Kristen said.
She also plans sell cookies the traditional way, going
door-to-door with cookies in tow in mid-February when cookie delivery begins.
And, as a goal-oriented businesswoman, she is going to try a new sales tactic
this year—Digital Cookie. This online platform will allow her to set up her own
online cookie store, and she can email friends and family members who can then
order cookies from her online. There’s even an option for them to have the
cookies shipped directly from the bakery to their homes.
Kristen, who has been a Girl Scout for 12 years, is a member
of Troop 649. And, thanks to their successes during cookie season, the troop is
able to use their earnings to give back to the community. Last year, they
purchased schools supplies for an elementary school in Suffolk, purchased food
to help feed more than 150 families through East End Baptist Church and bought
Christmas presents for six girls from the Angel Tree at the church. The troop
also donated Girl Scout Cookies to the food pantry at the church. Powered by
the Girl Scout Cookie Program, Troop 649 is working to make their corner of the
world a better place.
“As a graduation requirement, I have to complete 50 hours of
community service,” Kristen said. “Through Girl Scouts and my church, I was
able to complete my hours my freshman year of high school. Community service
has become a big part of my life, and I will continue to give back to others
when I start college in the fall.”
For Kristen, making a positive impact on others is just one
of the many life lessons she will take away from her time as a Girl Scout.
Through Girl Scouts, she has learned to me a risk-taker, a leader, an
innovator, and, thanks to the cookie program, a businesswoman.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the nation’s leaning
financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls. Girl Scout Cookies
not only help girls earn money for fun, educational activities and community
projects, but also play a huge role in teaching girls how to be go-getters,
innovators, risk-takers and leaders as they learn essential life and business
skills.
Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North
Carolina are currently taking orders for cookies. Cookies will arrive to the
region on February 18, and cookie booth sales will begin the following day. For
more information, visit www.gsccc.org.
