We hear your concerns, and want to clarify our intentions for the remainder of the cookie program for Girl Scouts GCNWI.
 
The one, most important point we want to make is that we care deeply about you, your health, your safety, and your financial concerns.
 
We understand the anxiety you are feeling. People are worried about loved ones, their jobs, the stress of balancing family life and work life, and how to begin to explain what is happening to their children. Cookies should be the  last thing you have to be concerned about, so please read this entire message.
 
We will restart booth sales and reopen our  cookie cupboards once the shelter-in-place order is lifted.
 
Once our gathering places can reopen, we will do everything we can to restart our  cookie program for approximately two weeks, including two weekends. Please check back here often for dates and times as they become available.

• All Cookie Cupboards will reopen, including volunteer cupboards.
• Goal Getters will resume.
• Booth sites will return. We ask that you refrain from trying to secure your own right now. Many stores are unable to discuss until the advisory is lifted.
• If COVID-19 requires us to be out longer than June, we will revise our plans with other solutions at that time. 

The ACH Sweep is scheduled for April 10, but you can file an adjustment request.

• We are not trying to put any troop or person in harm’s way. Many  of our Girl Scout troops have finished, or nearly finished, their cookie selling season, and are ready to settle up their finances.
• If you are concerned with the April 10 ACH date, please just fill out an adjustment form by April 8.
• We know some of you still have cases of cookies in your stock, and as we have said all along, we will partner with individual troops to resolve that situation as best as we can so that no girl or troop is impacted financially as a result of this pandemic.

File an ACH Adjustment Form

What if you don’t want to wait for booths and cupboards to reopen?

We have heard of some creative solutions for troops who do not wish to wait for booths to reopen.

1. Host your own “virtual cookie booth” so people can buy cookies using the CLOVER payment system (with GCNWI paying the transaction fees). We will support this payment process until June 30 for cookie transactions.
2. People who want actual cookies and live near you can arrange to make the transaction through the CLOVER payment system, and you can do a “porch drop” with no personal contact.
3. People who want to show first responders their support can purchase via your troop and designate them as Gift of Caring. Those cookies can be distributed through someone you know who is in that service or medical field (remember, no physical contact), or you can hold onto them until the advisories lift and deliver them later when it is safe.
4. Ask a business that does carry-out or pickup orders if they would like to purchase a case or two so they can give away boxes to customers during this stressful time.

But don’t forget, booths and cupboards will reopen once the stay-in-place order is lifted, so you can also fill out the ACH Adjustment form, and wait for booths to reopen.

What you should NOT do

• Troops may NOT set-up a Go Fund Me page, or anything similar.
• Troops are NOT able to sell through Facebook marketplace pages.
• Online orders have also ended for digital cookies.
• Troops should not under any circumstances pay for a delinquent parent’s cookie payment. 
• Volunteers should not take money out of their own pocket either. Please turn in an IC form for that parent.

Rewards
Thank you for submitting your final rewards on March 24!

• Rewards will be delivered to your service unit cookie manager sometime in May (depending on advisories).
• If your girls earn more rewards, a reward reorder form will be available sometime in May; those rewards will arrive in late June for pick up at your nearest Gathering Place (also depending on advisories).

Girl Scouts GCNWI is NOT participating in Girl Scouts of the USA’s “Eat. Share. Show Communities We Care” digital campaign.

We have had many questions about this national digital campaign which you may have seen.

• This campaign is designed for the Girl Scout councils that were hardest hit, many who were just starting their cookie program. Our council does not fit that criteria.
• GCNWI was nearly done with our cookie program when the pandemic hit. Other councils hadn’t even begun. Their initial order deliveries had just taken place. They are being incredibly hard hit, and it’s time for us to put in place the very heart of what this movement stands for which is helping others.
• This means that when someone plugs in their zip code on the “Eat. Share….” page, they are directed to  the nearest council that did not get as far as we did in their cookie season before the coronavirus hit.

Every one of our girls, families, volunteers and communities is in our hearts right now. We are committed to helping resolve the stress you feel about cookies so you can fully focus on your families.
 
If you have additional questions, just ask us directly. Our product program team is here for you, even in these difficult and challenging days. Please contact us at productprogram@girlscoutsgcnwi.org or 855-ILOVEGS, ext. 6722.
 
Thank you for your patience. Stay safe.