The troop girls live in an emergency shelter for the homeless known as Micah House.
“You can really see when they are wearing the sash or vest, there is a sense of pride and belonging to something that is so respected,” said Beth Shelton, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa. “This is always sacred and important for children, but I think it is particularly so during this pandemic.”
They also achieved another goal of selling to customers in all 50 states, and in Washington, DC, Kayla Terrillion, a children’s program specialist at Micah House, told CNN.
Even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, no challenge proved too great for the troops. In fact, the drive for online sales was a blessing for the troops. Terrillion said that moving sales mainly online because of the virus helped publicize the sales of cookies. Community members – and beyond – can order cookies online and pick them up or receive them, helping Troop 64224 achieve its goal of selling cookies across the country.
“Having everything on social media this year is completely different, especially for girls,” said Terrillion with Micah House.
The size of the troop varies according to the number of families living in the shelter. Girls between the ages of five and eight are not only thrilled to be Boy Scouts, but exceeding their goals is something the troops are proud of.
These scouts are described as not only enthusiastic, but also entrepreneurial. With about a month to go for the cookie season, this troop will continue to sell.
“Like any smart business woman, they are going to take a look at these goals and reevaluate,” said Shelton. “They found that out.”
The Micah House Scout troop started in 2018. About 30% of the girls are part of the free or reduced price lunch program. Despite any financial problems the girls who live there face, they receive a free Girl Scout subscription, said Shelton. Money from cookie sales remains local and goes to scouting activities, such as field trips.