Girl Scouts sell cookies creatively during COVID-19
The 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program for troops in the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways Council has been extended from Sunday, March 21 to Sunday, March 28. Local girls are getting creative to get their iconic treats safely in the hands of customers during their largest annual fundraiser which powers activities, community service, experiences, programming and more. All funds raised stay local.
Cookies officially arrive across the council’s 26-county footprint this week. Stock fulfills customer pre-orders, drive-thru booths, a new collaboration with Grubhub and National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend (Feb. 19-21) which celebrates the learning, excitement and fun selling cookies has powered for girls for 104 years.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world. Girls develop important life and leadership skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—for a lifetime of success. This year, girls are flexing their entrepreneurial and leadership skills even further as they overcome challenges to more traditional face-to-face and walk-up sales in light of the pandemic.
Learn how to connect with GSNYPENN troops selling cookies and locate local drive-thru booths by visiting buygirlscoutcookiesnow.com.
Digital Contactless Sales
Girl Scouts use a personal Digital Cookie online order link to connect with friends, family and neighbors. Cookies are delivered no-contact or shipped direct for a fee. Many girls are utilizing platforms like FaceTime and Zoom to host virtual cookie booths. New this year are troop ordering links, which can be searched by zip code on the online Cookie Finder or iOS and Android app to order from a local troop for direct shipment.
Drive-Thru Booths & Community Partners
Cookie Finder allows cookie fans to enter their zip code to locate community drive-thru booths for contactless sales. Troops are partnering with businesses and organizations in their communities to host drive-thrus. Some businesses are also assisting troops with cookie sales through their locations. All proceeds go back to the troop.
Most troops accept cash and credit/debit cards at their drive-thrus. A sampling of locations across GSNYPENN (use the Cookie Finder to locate even more) includes:
- Binghamton (Broome County) – Troop 30414 partnering with Binghamton Fluorescent; Feb. 13, 20 from 12-4 p.m.
- Central Square (Oswego County) – Troop 60878 partnering with Red Onion Grocery & Pizzeria; Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Green Acres Lanes; Feb. 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Chittenango (Madison County) – Troop 60885 partnering with Hamlet Diner; Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Jordan (Onondaga County) – Troops 60002 and 10529 partnering with Jordan-Elbridge Community Center; Feb. 21, 28, March 7, 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Feb. 13, March 13 from 12-3 p.m.
- New Hartford (Oneida County) – Utica/Rome/New Hartford area troops partnering with Sangertown Square; Feb. 13 from 3-6 p.m.; Feb. 14, 21, 28, March 7, 14 from 12-6 p.m.; Feb. 19, 26 from 4-7 p.m.; Feb. 20, 27, March 6 from 12-6 p.m.; March 13 from 12-3 p.m.
- Painted Post (Steuben County) – Troop 60470 partnering with United Church of Painted Post; Feb. 20 from 1-5 p.m. and Beartown Peaches ‘n Cream; Feb. 20 from 1-3 p.m.
- Syracuse (Onondaga County) – Service Unit 120 partnering with Onondaga Community College; Saturdays, Feb. 13-March 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Verona (Oneida County) – Troop 20118 partnering with Verona Fire Department; Feb. 28 from 12-2 p.m.
NYS Fairgrounds Drive-Thru
To further assist troops, GSNYPENN is partnering with the New York State Fairgrounds (581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse) to host weekend drive-thru booths on Fridays from 4-8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning this Friday, Feb. 12 and concluding Sunday, March 21. Sales will take place outside of the Tractor Supply Co. Exhibit Center. Credit/debit cards are preferred, but cash will be accepted.
Grubhub Delivery
Thanks to a new national collaboration between Girl Scouts of the USA and Grubhub, delivery will be available in select GSNYPENN areas Thursdays-Sundays from 4-8 p.m. beginning Feb. 11 through March 21. Some days may vary by location. Customers can place orders using the Grubhub website or delivery app. Special discounts on delivery fees will be offered during designated dates.
The following GSNYPENN areas have Grubhub cookie delivery within a 20-minute driving radius:
- Auburn
- Binghamton
- Canandaigua
- Cicero
- Fayetteville
- Horseheads
- Ithaca
- Syracuse
- Utica
- Victor
- Watertown
Cookies Available
GSNYPENN’s 2021 cookie lineup offers 8 flavors for just $5 per box. Varieties available:
- Lemon-Ups – crispy lemon cookie
- Trefoils – traditional shortbread cookie
- Do-si-dos – crunchy oatmeal sandwich cookie with creamy peanut butter filling
- Tagalongs – crispy cookie layered with peanut butter and covered with chocolate
- Toffee-tastic – gluten-free, rich buttery cookie with crunchy toffee bits
- Thin Mints – crisp wafer cookie covered in chocolate coating made with natural oil of peppermint, vegan
- Samoas – crisp cookie coated with caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut and striped with dark chocolate
- Girl Scout S’mores – crunchy graham sandwich cookie with creamy chocolate and marshmallow filling
Donate Cookies to Local Meals on Wheels & First Responders
“If you can’t eat them, treat them” through GSNYPENN’s annual Sweet Support Gift of Caring service project. Customers help support local Girl Scouts while giving back to the community. Donated cookie purchases will be gifted to 2021 Sweet Support recipients Meals on Wheels programs and first responders across the council’s territory.
Gimme5 Sweepstakes
Each time customers buy five or more boxes of cookies from GSNYPENN Girl Scouts, they have the chance to win a prize: Girl Scout Cookies, Amazon gift cards, even $500 cash. Customers will need the troop number from the girl or troop they purchased cookies from for the online entry form. Complete details are available at gimme5sweeps.com.
If you don’t have a connection with a local troop, or need help locating cookies, contact GSNYPENN Customer Engagement at 855.213.8555 or info@gsnypenn.org for assistance.