Girl Scout Cookie Season Kicks Off in Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Council, Bringing Joy During Challenging Times

 

Girl Scout entrepreneurs in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan

 

Counties are selling cookies in safe, creative, and socially distant ways, including the organization’s first-ever national delivery services collaboration with Grubhub.

 

Nationwide online Girl Scout Cookie ordering became available February 1.


 

Today, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Inc. (GSHH) and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) kicked off the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season nationally, during a challenging time when many Girl Scouts are selling in creative, socially distant, and contact-free ways to keep themselves and their customers safe. Even in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, girls are adapting their sales methods to share the joy of Girl Scout Cookies through the largest girl-led entrepreneurship  contact-free pickup and delivery orders through a new national collaboration with Grubhub. Additionally, GSUSA is making online cookie ordering available nationwide on February 1 so consumers who don’t know a Girl Scout can still purchase cookies from a local troop for direct shipment to their homes or donation to local organizations.


Innovative Girl-led Sales Methods

The Girl Scout Cookie Program has long taught girls how to run a business via in-person booths, door-to- door activity, and the Digital Cookie® platform online, which GSUSA launched in 2014. When the COVID- 19 pandemic hit in the middle of the 2020 cookie season, girls were faced with the same challenges as other small businesses. Girl Scouts in GSHH’s seven county footprint (Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan Counties) quickly pivoted their sales methods. From coordinating contactless pickups, running virtual cookie booths, setting up drive-through locations, and facilitating orders that ship directly to customers’ doors, girls as young as five years old are continuing to embrace their entrepreneurial spirits, stay connected to their communities, and have fun by participating in the cookie program. In addition, the proceeds from each purchase stay local with the troop and its council to power Girl Scouts’ essential leadership programming.

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Inc. CEO, Marie Reger, views the GrubHub partnership as a win-win for Girl Scouts and local consumers. Says Reger, “I am very excited for Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson to participate in the national partnership with GrubHub. Girl Scout cookies are a perennial comfort food and this year will provide a sense of normalcy and consistency in an ever-changing environment. This partnership will give girls the chance to hone their entrepreneurial skills while maintaining their health and safety amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and providing moments of joy to their neighbors and communities.”

This year, Girl Scouts is also providing new materials as part of their cookie badge program to support girls as they run their cookie business online and via social media, helping them be best equipped to sell during these times.


Ordering Through Delivery Platform Grubhub Coming Soon

This season, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson is participating in a national collaboration with food
ordering and delivery platform Grubhub so girls have an additional way to facilitate contact-free cookie orders. Throughout GSHH’s geographic area, consumers can order Girl Scout Cookies for  delivery on Grubhub.com or the Grubhub app. A hands-on experience in managing e-commerce, local Girl Scouts will track and fulfill orders, manage inventory, and more, all using Grubhub’s back-end Technology. More details will be made available after Feb. 1 when GSHH begins its cookie sale. As always, the proceeds benefit the troop and council while providing  cookie program virtually. GSUSA is grateful to Grubhub for waiving all fees for the organization to make this new delivery option feasible for sales without reducing troop’s and council’s proceeds.

Online Ordering Available Nationwide February 1


GSUSA is making it possible for all consumers nationwide who don’t already know a Girl Scout to
purchase Girl Scout Cookies online for shipment to their door. Beginning February 1, customers can enter their zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder to find a local troop to purchase from through the Digital Cookie platform for direct shipment or donation to local organizations. This additional contact- free method supports local girls while keeping their safety and skill building top of mind.

How to Safely Purchase Girl Scout Cookies This Season


Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized in Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson from February 1, 2021 through May 2021. Consumers can support Girl Scouts by purchasing Thin Mints®, Tagalongs®,Trefoils®, and more in a few different ways:

• If you know a registered Girl Scout, reach out to her to find out how she’s selling cookies in ways
that meet local and state safety protocols. Girl Sales start 2/12/2021

• If you don’t know a Girl Scout, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org, text COOKIES to 59618 (message
and data rates may apply. Text STOPGS for STOP, HELPGS for help), or use the official Girl Scout
Cookie Finder app for free on iOS or Android devices to find socially distant or contact-free
cookie booths if they are available in your area.

• Visit www.grubhub.com/food/girl_scouts to order via contact-free delivery from Grubhub in
Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan Counties. Specific dates
and times to come.

• Beginning February 1, enter your zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder at
www.girlscoutcookies.org to purchase from a local Girl Scout troop online for shipment to your
door or to donate cookies to first responders and local causes.

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Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson (GSHH) serves approximately 17,000 girl and 8,000 adult members over
Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. At GSHH they are part
of a community of girls and women looking to experience new challenges, make friends, serve the
community, and discover new skills and interest. GSHH offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.

S
Submitted by Somers, NY

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