Category: Girl Scout Stories

Member Monday Round-Up: Staying Strong!

Girl Scout Ja’Mirra from Troop 26060

Another week, another collection of AMAZING stories from our local Girl Scouts! Girl Scouts have kept their spirits up and kept the Girl Scout way alive by participating in virtual troop meetings, planning and completing highest awards, doing “good turns” daily, and most importantly, having fun!

As we come out of Green for Good Week and gear up for Family Week and the Girl Scouts GCNWI Great Family Camp-In from May 23-24, we want to continue to take time out of the week to appreciate and celebrate our Girl Scout Family. Read on to find out what these Girl Scout sisters have been up to lately!

Baking the World a Better Place

Girl Scout Daisy Morgan from Troop 75639 is really baking a name for herself. She started her own YouTube channel Morgan Makes and Bakes, and last week shared a video of herself making an incredible-looking Girl Scout Cookie Cake! We can’t wait to use some of our cookies to make it!

Girl Scout Troops are chugging along, and Troop 10063, a multi-level troop ranging from Daisies to Seniors, has been hosting regular meetings using Facebook Live! They’ve hosted cooking demonstrations, a paint-along, Mother’s Day crafts, and workshops on Girl Scout basics! They’ve even taken two virtual field trips, one to their leader’s place of work at a local distribution office and warehouse, and another to a county forest preserve for a nature trail hike. Sounds like a whole lot of Girl Scout fun!

The creative juices have really been flowing for some Girl Scouts–– just look at the girls from Troop 60538! These girls got together to create their very own news show where they share feel-good stories, and this fulfilled part of their Media Girl Journey! If you need a chuckle, check out their Quarantine Quarrels:

Girl Scout Service Spotlight!

Girl Scouts have continued to do “good turns” daily, either by donating cookies, organizing donation drives, or simply spreading some much-needed cheer. Troop 76120 donated their leftover cookies to healthcare workers at Northwestern Hospital, and the entire Service Unit 718 in Frankfort, IL sent thank-you cards! Although we can’t see the smiles on their faces, we’re sure the cookies brought them plenty of joy!

With the help of their “big sister” Girl Scout Jazleen, Daisy Troop 75552 donated over 50 boxes of cookies and plenty of beautiful thank-you notes to Oak Lawn Advocate Medical Center! What a great way to put Girl Scout sisterhood into action!

This AWESOME family of Girl Scouts from Troops 21180 and 20897 donated their last boxes of cookies to the University of Chicago! Every donated box came with a handmade special thank you card from the girls. We know that the staff was incredibly appreciative of this generosity!

Girl Scouts have gotten really creative when it comes to helping out their communities, and Girl Scout Sommer from Troop 60261 is no exception! Since hand sanitizer has been in short supply, Sommer began to use her own allowance to buy ingredients to make some herself–– since then, she’s been donating these bottles to police officers, city workers, nursing home volunteers, senior citizens, friends, and families! She was even featured in the Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle, and for good reason. Incredible work, Sommer!

This troop of local Girl Scouts also donated cookies, and created these special notes! Thanks for sharing, girls!

Are you looking for a service opportunity to partake in with your troop? Emma Davenport, the Illinois State Lead for #MasksNow, shared with us a very special opportunity for any interested Girl Scouts:

Silver Award Shout Out!

Our last groups of featured Girl Scouts get very special shout-outs for recently working on or completing their Silver Awards!

Troop 70950’s Silver Award project focused on spreading kindness throughout their community, and they certainly accomplished that goal! The girls volunteered with RichEnDeed, a local non-profit that allows community members to donate gently used clothing and household items which others can shop for free at their store.

For the first annual Holiday Shop with RichEnDeed, they collected and sorted donations for the store, and these girls even went the extra mile to purchase, assemble, and donate a brand-new donation shed so donations can be dropped outside the store! Congratulations to these super-generous Girl Scouts for this amazing accomplishment!

Girl Scouts Evie and Madalyn from Troop 51974 also deserve a shout-out for their awesome work on their Silver Award, an idea they came up with together last summer after Madalyn got back from camp. Because their favorite place to earn badges is at camp, Evie and Madalyn wanted to find a way to help other girls do the same. Thus, the Badge Packs were born, consisting of all the supplies needed to complete certain badges, including the instructions, activities, and whatever else someone may need!

Their plan is to send a variety of Badge Packs for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors to Camps Greenewood, Butternut Springs, Juniper Knoll, and River Trails! Evie and Madalyn chose diverse options such as the Junior Detective Badge and the Brownie Making Friends Badge because they wanted to provide a range of options for girls at camp who may already be earning other badges. They’re very excited, and hope to deliver their finished product to camps by the end of 2020! Great job, girls, and thank you so much for sharing!

Girl Scout Cookies Are (Still) Here!

Hello from one of the contributing writers of this blog, Susana Cardenas-Soto! I am breaking the fourth wall very briefly to share my own story from this past week because I BOUGHT GIRL SCOUT COOKIES and you can too!

I connected with Girl Scout Troop 23143 for some much needed treats, and they have plenty more cookies to sell! Purchase Girl Scout Cookies for yourself, or as gifts for essential workers, medical staff, and others–– just fill out this form and you’ll be connected with a local troop and coordinate a safe, contactless transfer of delicious treats! What could be better?

These Girl Scouts are super impressive, and they aren’t the only ones! Catch up on all of our Member Monday and Service Spotlight blog posts to get some more good Girl Scout vibes:

Please keep sharing your stories with us!

Looking for a Patch Program to do with your troop? The Girl Scouts from Home page is full of Badge How-To’s you can complete from home!

Keep up with our upcoming Virtual Events by checking out our Calendar, which can also be found on the Girl Scouts from Home page!

Member Monday Round-Up: Happier Together!

Girl Scout Hayley O.

Wow–– what a week it was Springing Forward with GCNWI! We tuned in for our very first Career Conversation (you can still join in next Monday, May 18), designed incredible Balloon Cars at the Mechanical Engineering workshop, built comforting Happy Boxes together (you can learn how to build one of your own by watching our tutorial), and learned all about composting with earthworms!

This is in addition to the continued service enacted by many of our own GCNWI Girl Scouts to support community organizations and essentials workers with cookies and other resources. Let’s learn about some of our awesome local Girl Scouts (and check out a very special shout-out from Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot):

Launching into Springtime!

Our Girl Scouts have been having such a blast with our Virtual Programs and Events, and it shows–– just look at this future Girl Scout who joined us for a Virtual Girl Scout Daisy Launch! Looks like her rocket turned out great!

This Brownie troop has been getting ready for Green for Good week by upcycling and working on their Wonders of Water Journey–– so cool and a great way to get girls thinking about the environment. Thanks to leader and member of the Associate Board Misse Daniel for sharing!

Girl Scout Peyton has been keeping busy by participating in multiple virtual events, her favorite being the Girl Power Half Hour hosted by Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes! She attended a World Traveler session, where she made a sign in Japanese to say “hello” and embrace diversity. She also made “fairy bread,” a favorite treat in Australia. Sweet!

Last week, we also celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week, and Girl Scout Troop 41762 shared an awesome thank-you to their teachers:

If you’re in need of some story-time, make sure to watch Girl Scout Kaylee read Splat the Cat! Great job, Kaylee!

Close at Heart

Girl Scouts have also weathered the storm and continued meeting regularly with their troops through virtual meetings, and they look like so much fun! This Brownie troop from St. Theresa School shared with us their beautiful unicorn paintings, and we’re wondering if they’re taking commissions!

Girl Scouts are making history–– literally! As a part of Chicago Museum’s “In This Together” project which records stories from the COVID-19 pandemic, leader Kris Nesbitt shared her experience leading a Brownie Girl Scout troop during this time. Read her whole story below:

View this post on Instagram

In April, we launched "In This Together," our community-based initiative to collect digital records that capture personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every Sunday, we’ll be featuring stories submitted by area residents to share perspectives and remind us that we're all in this together. Submit your story at http://chicagohistory.org/covid19history // In the Chicago region, social distancing and stay-at-home orders hit right in the midst of Girl Scout cookie booth season. Girl Scouts acted quickly to suspend sales until the crisis is over. Many troops have decided to donate their leftover cookies to first responders, healthcare workers, and others on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. I lead a Brownie troop, and our troop voted to do the same. Our Girl Scout meetings have shifted to digital engagements on the Zoom platform and at a recent meeting, we each wrote a thank-you note to hospital workers. The girls shared their images/messages via text, we printed them, and then we affixed them to Girl Scout cookie boxes. They were delivered to West Suburban Hospital and shared with healthcare workers." — Kris Nesbitt, Berwyn #MuseumFromHome #SundayStories

A post shared by Chicago History Museum (@chicagomuseum) on

Girl Scout Service Spotlight!

Junior Troop 70147

We remain SO impressed with our local Girl Scouts that have, over the past SIX weeks, donated hundreds of cookies, hours of time, and plenty of resources to their communities. We’ve gotten a lot of attention, even from Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot (keep reading to see the shout-out!).

Junior Troop 70147 (pictured above) made a big donation to the Frankfort Township Food Pantry, and Daisy Troop 55786 sold over 300 cases of cookies for our Gift of Caring program and donated them to My Joyful Heart! Just like that, the 1,000+ kids in the program may be tasting their first Girl Scout cookies ever. Great job, girls!

Girl Scouts are not the only ones who are doing some good: long-time Camp Greene Wood nurse, Tammy “Kandi” Lis, was saluted by the Chicago Blackhawks on National Nurse Day for her work sewing and delivering over 500 scrub-caps to her coworkers treating COVID-19 patients. We are super excited about this because she is an AWESOME human!

Our Girl Scouts are truly remarkable, and one of them has gotten the attention of Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot:

Hayley’s efforts are incredible, and we are so thankful to Mayor Lightfoot for featuring her! Find out more about Hayley’s project and how you can contribute to the cause.

After reading all of these stories from our local Girl Scouts, we hope you’re feeling renewed and inspired for the coming year! It is clear that even in challenging times, Girl Scouts shine brighter beyond imagination.

Share your stories with us, whether they’re about your service project or just having some fun.

In search of more Patch Programs to complete with your troop? The Girl Scouts from Home page is full of Badge How-To’s you can complete from home!

Stay updated with our upcoming Virtual Events by checking out our Calendar, which can be found on the Girl Scouts from Home page!

Member Monday Round-Up: Super Girl Scouts Edition!

Girl Scouts from Troop 75462

Dreaming Your Future Week was a blast: we heard your powerful voices on the Scribe and Public Speaker Digital Stage, talked to our heart’s content at the weekly Older Girl Hangout, learned about our personal superheroes on the SuperHERo webinar, won some awesome prizes at the Shop Social Facebook Live, and got some indispensable College Knowledge!

Our local Girl Scouts have once again shown that they are not just surviving this difficult period, but thriving! Completing patch programs, attending virtual troop meetings and council events, donating cookies, even getting shout outs from community organizations and businesses–– these are just some of the ways Girl Scouts have continued to stay #GirlScoutStrong.

SuperHERoes Saving the Day!

Last week, we hosted the SuperHERo webinar, where Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors got together and became their own super-cool SuperHERo squad. The girls brainstormed, talked about what makes them each a superhero in their own ways, and came up with their own characters based on themselves! Thanks to those awesome girls pictured above for sharing their super-selves with us!

Want to discover your inner SuperHERo? Download the SuperHERo worksheet to unleash your hidden powers!

Keeping in Touch

Plenty of our local girls have been staying connected to their Girl Scout sisters through regular troop meetings that are both fun and occupy plenty of free time! Girls from Troop 60299 have been doing weekly fun challenges like the Trefoil Scavenger Hunt, rock painting, and chalk-walking. They’re even doing regular badge work using Google Classroom so they don’t miss a beat! Awesome!

Girls from Troop 15417 (pictured above) have utilized Zoom and Facebook to stay connected and engaged with structured activities, and Troop 10063 has been getting together using Facebook Live, even hosting a career florist who shared some gardening tips with the girls!

This Girl Scout troop leader shared an uplifting reminder that Girl Scouts can be ready for anything:

We certainly agree!

Citizen Scientists and Chefs

Members of troop 45133 are encouraging others to become citizen scientists during this time sheltering-in-place, and made their own Nature Scavenger Hunt worksheet to get people to go outside and look closely at nature! This worksheet has been shared with local schools and community members in Buffalo Grove, and all activities are possible from your backyard or wherever you feel comfortable getting out!

We also received this yummy-looking picture of some very beautiful Udon noodles a Girl Scout made for a virtual dinner party–– we’re definitely going to try to recreate this dish at home!

Girl Scout Service Spotlight!

The donations of cookies and other resources from Girl Scouts around the council has not stopped, and we continue to be very proud of the service our girls have provided to their communities. Here are some more super Girl Scout service shout-outs!

Girl Scout Zara S. from Troop 20438 with Officers from Chicago Police Department District 12

Girl Scout Zara (pictured above) donated over 500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the Emergency Rooms at Rush Hospital, University of Illinois at Chicago, La Rabida, Stroger, and the 12th District of the Chicago Police Department. The cookies were very appreciated and she even got a few shout-outs on social media!

Troop 65646 recently dropped Girl Scout cookies off to local fire and police stations, as well as EMS drivers! The rest were donated to soldiers and airmen at a local COVID-19 testing site.

Another group of Girl Scouts, Troop 47027, has proudly supported Hillside Pantry in Evanston, IL, in this special time of need, and recently donated six cases of cookies to the pantry that serves over 1,500 people each time their doors open! Great job, girls!

Troop 75462 (pictured at the very top of the blog) has put on a donation drive to help support essential workers, and their hard work has resulted in 100 boxes of cookies donated to essential workers! They are still working toward another 50 box donation–– awesome!

In partnership with Jimmy’s Charhouse in Elgin, Girl Scout Troop 25536 generously donated their cookie profits to help provide lunch for Sherman Advocate of Elgin’s Emergency Department. What a great (and delicious) way to say thanks to the community!

Here’s just one more shout-out from Lakeview Pantry celebrating some very generous Girl Scouts:

Do you have a super story to share with us about service, virtual troop meetings, or something you’ve been doing just for fun? We’d love to know! Share with us on social media or on our website!

Member Monday Round-Up!

Sheltering-in-place is in full swing, but so are the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. We’ve been up to a lot: donating Girl Scout cookies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to essential workers in our communities, attending virtual webinars, hangouts, and dance parties with our Girl Scout friends, celebrating Earth Month, and so much more!

Read on to learn about what local girls have been doing to pass the time–– Girl Scout style!

Happy Earth Month!

Happy Earth Day from Troop 20461!

This year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with a series of videos on different green activities for you to try (watch those videos here!) but some Girl Scouts came up with their own ways to celebrate Earth Day and Month!

Daisy Girl Scout Liliana has taken pride in her inside compost bin! She has looked over videos and researched what a compost is, which kind she wanted to make (and which would work where she lives apartment), and she now knows how to take care of it and what belongs inside one. Great job, Liliana!

Aside from her being very diligent with her school work, Girl Scout Maddie has also been working hard on earning Brownie badges. For Earth Day, Maddie created an informational video about pollution, steps we can take to help our planet, and a fun craft to celebrate Earth Day. Watch her video now!

Lastly, Girl Scout Troop 60533 made the very helpful flyer below for their community members to use as part of their Bronze Award project! Thank you so much for sharing these tips and tricks!

Girl Scout Service Spotlight!

The good deeds from our local Girl Scouts have not stopped, and we continue to be proud and impressed of these girls! Here are just some of the many ways local Girl Scouts have stepped up to serve their communities:

Girl Scout Anaya (pictured above) and her brother Ayaan purchased 300 boxes of Girl Scout cookies using their own savings to donate to their neighborhood Walgreens and to the Greater Elgin Family Care Center! The siblings decided that a little positivity and cheer in these difficult times goes a long way for these everyday heroes.

Thanks so much to Vocalo Radio for the shout out, and great job to the Girl Scouts from Rogers Park and Evanston who stepped up and delivered cookies! Girl Scouts from Troop 55532 also donated cookies to frontline workers at the Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL—their leader said it was an “emotional and teachable” moment for all of the girls.

Our last member story for this week comes from Daisy Girl Scout Seraphina, who shared with us her idea for spreading kindness: hug cards. “I hope this helps people that are lonely. I wish that everyone would stay healthy.” We do, too, Seraphina!

Do you have a story to share with us about community service, at-home troop meetings, virtual programs, or anything else that strikes your fancy? Share with us on on our website!

Stay safe, and we’ll “see” you around!

Service Story Round-Up: Girl Scout Strong from Home

Another week of staying indoors, another week of Girl Scouts making waves nationwide! Throughout this global pandemic, Girl Scouts across the country have stepped up and served as leaders and helpers in their communities. Here at Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, our girls and volunteers have been spreading joy, gathering resources, and dispensing them to those in need.

Just reading all of the stories our council members have shared with us has been truly amazing! Read on to learn about some of our local Girl Scout super-stars (and a very special shout-out we received from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot)!

Shout-Out from Mayor Lightfoot!

You read that right: local Girl Scouts have donated several thousand (and counting) boxes of Girl Scout cookies to healthcare professionals and essential workers in the community! This is in addition to the care packages, thank-you cards, homemade masks and other items that have made their ways to several local hospitals, including Rush University Medical Center, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Advocate Trinity Hospital, Roseland Community Hospital and many more.

Thank you to Mayor of Chicago (and Girl Scout alum) Lori Lightfoot for your amazing support and acknowledgment! YOU can share your service projects directly with her office by posting on social media with #ChicagoGoodWorks.

Service Spotlight!

Girls from Troop 55191 donated four cases of cookies, boxes of personal care items (for staff staying in hotels), and thank-you cards to staff at Alexian Brothers Medical Center, and Girl Scout Emily from Troop 45169 also donated eight cases of cookies to the same center!

Troop 10055 sent 17 boxes to Community Hospital’s nurses and staff in Munster, IN, and Girl Scout Caelyn from Troop 45420 made thank-you cards and donated cookies to the staff of Little City, a Chicago organization that provides services to people with developmental disabilities. Thank you, girls!

Girl Scout Natalie from Troop 35138, along with her mom, worked for 10 hours straight to sew, iron, clean, and pack 57 homemade face-masks to be donated for local hospitals! So far Natalie has made more than 122 masks, and she isn’t stopping any time soon.

Highland Indiana Animal Control received a very generous donation from Girl Scout Troop 10099, including bleach, soap, paper towels, cat and dog feed, toys, treats, leashes, bowls and more!

Service Unit 402 donated over 500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights Fire Department, Arlington Heights Post Office, Wheeling Police Department, Wheeling Post Office, Buffalo Grove Police Department, Buffalo Grove Post Office, and Lincolnshire Police Department. Shout out to Girl Scout troops 40624, 40666, 40694, 42575, 43108, 43266, 45325, 45568, 45582, 45710 45832, and 45916!

Final shout-outs go to Troops 55144, 55599, 26030, 60303, 55191 and 42025 for their donations of masks, cookies, treats, and thank-you cards to local police and fire departments, hospital staff, and essential workers. You rock!

Bonus: check out this Tik Tok nurses from Comer Children’s Emergency Room made to thank Girl Scouts for their cookie donation!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has shared their story with us, whether it’s been about your at-home service project, staying connected as a Girl Scout, or just a fun activity to pass the time.

If you’re donating cookies, resources, or spreading joy to your community, we want to know. Tell us all about it on social media or on our website!

Staying Connected with your Girl Scout Sisters from Home

Troop 50367 at their first Virtual Meeting

It has been such a joy to see and hear all about how Girl Scouts across Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana have made the best out of our current separation. While we stay-at-home, troop leaders and Girl Scouts have come up with so many ways to stay connected to the Girl Scout sisterhood–– and we just have to share them with you!

Read on to learn about what troops are doing across the council to keep the sisterhood strong!

Don’t Forget Your Virtual Troop Meeting Badge!

You can order the Virtual Troop Meeting Badge from our online shop!

Get free shipping with no minimum through May 1!
Order Here!

Leading the Way

These awesome troop leaders have gotten creative when it comes to organizing Girl Scout activities, from hosting virtual meetings to helping Girl Scouts accomplish their larger Highest Award projects.

Many leaders have utilized social media and internet resources to keep their girls busy: leader Jessica Koslowski went around to each of her Daisy’s doors with a packet of activities to earn the last petal, “then I posted a video of our ‘meeting’ to our Facebook page for the girls to watch. They loved it and posted pictures of their finished activities!”

Plenty of Girl Scouts have been meeting via Zoom, and leader Amanda Leonard Shanbaum is facilitating her troop’s badge work through Flipgrid.com! Yvette Esquivel Jania collected a lot of random patches over the 16 years of being a leader, so she dug through her supply and created virtual programs for her troop. “We have hosted 11 fun patch programs and girls have earned over 40 patches. Girls have two weeks to complete the patches.”

One of the activities leader Amy Scheeringa shared a great and inspiring activity to pass the time with your girls: “After every storm comes the sun, and if you’re lucky, a rainbow emerges from the clouds. Today we would like to encourage everyone who is at home to make a rainbow using whatever art supplies you have and put it up on your doors or windows. Take a walk with your family this afternoon or evening and see how many rainbows you can find.”

Advice from a Board Member/Troop Leader!

Jennifer Mikulina—Vice President of the GCNWI Board for the past five years, partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery, AND leader of Troop 40560—shared some great advice on how to keep girls engaged and checked-in to Girl Scouts.

Over spring break, Jennifer hosted nightly troop meetings using several different multimedia resources: in the morning, she emailed badge requirements to her girls, and in the evenings they checked in on each other’s progress. Jennifer improvised from badge manuscripts, then let the girls lead the rest of the experience.

Girls voted over several badge options through Survey Monkey, shared their progress on badge work through a group chat and Slack, and met nightly through Zoom, but flexibility was important––girls only participated if they wanted to.

Over the weeks, these girls started several badges, including New Cuisines and Eating for Beauty, along with doing some Virtual Museum Tours together! Jennifer noted that flexibility and tech savviness were keys to working with older girls; the more internet resources, the better.

Making a Difference

Girl Scouts are still leaving legacies in their communities even from afar. After observing that children with speech and language disorders have difficulty using electronic talking devices or AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) on the playground, troop 41997 from Arlington Heights wanted to help everyone in their school have a voice at recess. They talked to the school’s administration, learned all about AAC, worked to design a board that matched their peer’s devices, and fundraised enough money to create a low tech AAC board installed on their playground!

Now, the board can be used to communicate with peers and teaching assistants, and the girls planned to switch their recess so they could facilitate its use with the kids in hopes that all children would interact with it. Though school is out indefinitely, these Girl Scouts are sure to have a lasting impact of the community.

Girl Scouts Carry On!

As you now know, you can be a Girl Scout and lead Girl Scouts from anywhere, even at home! We’re so happy to see girls meeting virtually and completing online badges, and we have so much more to share with you.

From patch programs to badge webinars, highest award workshops and fun activities, we’ve got a bunch going on to keep your Girl Scout spirits high. Keep your eyes peeled for more at-home activities in the coming weeks!

Share your ideas, thoughts, and strategies for staying connected and your story might be featured!

In Case You Missed It

Girl Scouts From Home

Tips for Hosting a Virtual Troop Meeting

Service Spotlight: Naperville Brownie Troop Donates Cookies to Rush Healthcare Workers

Girl Scouts Take the Lead in a Time of Need

All Girl Scouts make a promise to help people at all times, so it is no surprise that our girls have been sources of joy and generosity when we find ourselves in times of crisis. Across the country, Girl Scouts are fulfilling both their promise and the Girl Scout Law by trying to make the world a better place, even under our current limitations.

In our Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana communities, Girl Scouts are stepping up for people who needed it most even while staying safe at home. Whether by donating cookies to medical professionals, sharing cheer with neighbors through art, gathering resources for food pantries, even making their own PSAs, our Girl Scouts are showing themselves to be resilient and experts in spreading kindness.

Read on to learn about some of the ways Girl Scouts are walking the Girl Scout walk, even as we practice social distancing.

Kindness through Cookies

Medical professionals around the world have been working tirelessly on the front lines to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on their communities, and locally, many Girl Scouts have decided to donate some well deserved snacks to them.

Girl Scout Ruhi from Troop 55693 (featured in a blog post last week) already wants to help others when she grows up. She also realized she doesn’t have to wait until she grows up to help others, so she gathered up Girl Scout Cookies, and made thank-you cards with her sister Brownies. The much-appreciated donations were delivered by an adult to Rush University Medical Center staff!

Girl Scout Addison from Troop 45135 gathered up 93 boxes of cookies donated by Addison’s gracious customers and had them delivered to St. Alexius Medical Center. She said she was grateful she was able to help, even in this small way, because giving back ties into the service aspect of Girl Scouts! And the staff themselves were incredibly grateful, as they get very few breaks and little time to eat.

Across Service Unit 413, girls created over 100 signs and cards offering words of encouragement and appreciation to all health care workers serving on the front line of this pandemic. Additionally, troops 45621, 40469 and 41346 donated over 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the health care workers. NorthShore University HealthSystem Hospital Emergency Departments located in Skokie, Highland Park, Evanston and Glenbrook were the recipients of the cards, signs and cookies. They all expressed gratitude and were very impressed with the generosity of all the troops! 

Melisa Gonzales Lopez and Annunciata Girl Scout Troop 60758 also donated cookies to Advocate Trinity Hospital, and Girl Scout Troop 55221 in Naperville made “Get Well” cards for those in isolation at Edward Hospital, both great ways to spread some joy from a distance.

Staying Connected

Girl Scout Leah P. from Elk Grove Village Troop 45421 got creative when it came to staying connected with her neighborhood: “To keep a sense of community for my friends and neighbors I packaged and delivered over 50 envelopes with Easter coloring sheets and activities to host a virtual coloring contest!”

Another artistic solution to keep in touch with others from a group of super kind Girl Scouts:

Girl Scouts from Troop 35424 in Crown Point, IN worked together virtually over the last two weeks to create a PSA video to generate awareness of the need to support local food pantries during this challenging time. These go-getters are working on their Bronze Award by helping people in their community who may experience job loss or food insecurity, and this was a great way to complete their Award while practicing social distancing.

You can check out that video on our Facebook page!

One more spot of good news!

Right before shelter-in-place started, Girl Scout Troop 55191 from Itasca was recognized by the Elk Grove Character Scout Coalition and the mayor for the work they do in the community!

This group of girls provides a full meal to guests at the PADS homeless shelter every year, and this year they tied it into their New Cuisines badge. They also completed their Bronze Award by providing fresh vegetables and activities for kids in shelters, and along with the broader Itasca community, the troop collected more than 1,000 pounds of Halloween candy to be donated to Packages for Patriots in Elk Grove Village!

Congratulations to this awesome Girl Scout troop!

We are beyond proud of these Girl Scouts, and Girl Scouts across the country, who have donated their time, effort, and kindness to people who need it. They are exemplifying what it means to be a Girl Scout: to be a source of strength and joy, to help others in need, and make the world a better place.

If you have recently contributed kindness to your community, we want to know! Please share your story with us here: http://bit.ly/shareyourgsstory

Girl Scouting from Home Part 2: Apart But Still Connected!

Week two of social distancing and the sisterhood is still going strong! We are so excited to have new programming to entertain you from home.

Join our Virtual Sing-Along

Looking to connect with friends and family while singing your heart out? Join us for a virtual sing-a-long on Saturday, March 28, at 7:30-8:10 p.m, by Zoom video chat!

Our camp staff will lead 40 minutes of favorite Girl Scout and camp songs and you can join along from home. Comfy clothes are encouraged!

Download the lyrics book »

RSVP for the Virtual Sing-Along on our Facebook Event Page »

Participate in Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) encouraging communities to turn off non-essential electric lights, for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

Join us in observing Earth Hour this Saturday. We’ve got a whole list of ideas for when you turn out the lights!

Download our Earth Hour Activity Worksheet [PDF] »

Earn Badges From Home

We’re excited to debut our first-ever how-to guides for earning badges from home! Download these PDFs that will guide any adult—not just troop leaders—in helping a girl earn a badge.

And we’re working on SO many more so stay tuned!

Free Shipping through March 31!

Shop from the comfort of your own home with FREE online shipping! That’s right! The Girl Scouts GCNWI shop has FREE shipping on all online orders from now until March 31!

In Case You Missed It

Girl Scout Activities From Home Part 1

Tips for Hosting a Virtual Troop Meeting

Service Spotlight: Naperville Brownie Troop Donates Cookies to Rush Healthcare Workers

Service Spotlight: Naperville Girl Scout Troop Gifts Cookies to Rush Medical Center Healthcare Workers

Looking for some good news? We have some!

Girl Scout Brownie Troop 55693 from Naperville wrote cards and donated Girl Scout Cookies to healthcare professionals at Rush University Medical Center!

This super-thoughtful service project was inspired by Brownie Ruhi S., whose dad works at Rush University Medical Center. When her dad was explaining to her about the long hours Rush Medical Center staff is working in effort to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on our community, she had an idea to spread kindness.

Ruhi already wants to help others when she grows up, but realized she doesn’t have to wait until she grows up to help others––she can do something now to appreciate those who are working tirelessly in these unprecedented times.

So, she gathered up Girl Scout Cookies, and made thank you cards with her sister Brownies, and the much-appreciated donations were delivered by an adult to Rush University Medical Center staff!

Thank you so much to Lauren Torres, leader of Troop 55693, for sharing this story with us, and GREAT JOB to these super generous girls!

How to Help from Home

Are you interested in finding ways to help your community while you stay home over the next couple weeks? Here are some ideas:

  • As part of our Silver Lining patch program in partnership with BCBSIL, please consider sending letters, cards, emails, or drawings to senior citizens at retirement homes or centers. Although it is not recommended to visit during this time for the safety of the elderly, it would be a nice gesture to reach out and send some cheer their way. 
  • Do you have a neighbor or family member who lives alone? Take some time out of your day to call or video chat with them. You can see if they need anything, but it is also just nice to hear from someone in this time when we are all stuck at home. Human interaction is important! 
  • Check out littlefreepantry.org to see if you could set up or support a food resource for others in need. 
  • Send cards of thanks to healthcare workers just like the Girl Scouts in Troop 55693!

How are You Staying Connected to Girl Scouts from Home?

We could all use a little more positive news these days, so please tell us if you’re doing something as a Girl Scout (or just a community member) to help spread some cheer or provide resources for those in needs. Share your story with us here!

Girl Scout Gifts A Trip to Disney!

Chicago, Illinois (May 17, 2019) — a day that forever changed the life of a young boy from Dolton, Illinois.

Today we have a special shout-out for a special Girl Scout. Junior Girl Scout Anne Nelson, 11, had a “simple” goal – sell 5,000 Girl Scout cookies to earn a trip to Disney World. But the goal wasn’t to do this for herself. Anne, inspired by a lesson in class about generosity, wanted to gift the trip to another child.

“Everyone should be kind to other people and generous because if someone wants to go somewhere or do something and they never have a chance to do it, it would make them feel amazing to do it.”

Anne N.

The Heart Behind the Gift

Anne went above and beyond those 5,000 boxes required to earn the trip for two to the ‘happiest place on Earth’ and is now a member of the Cookie CEO club at the council. Cookie CEOs are the top five local Girl Scouts who sell the most cookies during the season. With Anne selling more than 6,000 boxes total, she sets a wonderful example of diligence and dedication.

Anne’s mother, Michelle Nelson, encouraged her daughter’s dedication to her cookie sales endeavor, but even she was surprised by Anne’s desire to give back in such a grand way. “Anne learned about the needs of those less fortunate than others and it really resonated with her. She decided she want to give this trip away to a kid who wouldn’t be able to go otherwise, and she worked so hard to make it happen,” said Michelle.   

The product team at Girl Scouts GCNWI was just as surprised, with this being the first time in the council’s history where a cookie program participant shared her travel reward so grandly. “Anne told our product team early on that this is why she was working so hard to sell 5,000 boxes and we are so glad to see that with Courage, Confidence and Character, any girl can meet and exceed her goals!” said Susan Rakis, Director of Product Program.

Anne’s surprise reveal took place on Friday, May 17th at the Disney Store located inside the Chicago Ridge Mall. Joined by her Girl Scout troop, family and friends, Anne was able to surprise the young boy, age 11, with a special Disney inspired video, detailing his gifted trip to Orlando.

When asked what she hopes to share with others about her gift she said, “I want all kids to know that they can do big things because kids have big hearts and enough in them to make a change. One small thing can make a big difference.”

Next year she hopes to sell 5,000 more boxes of cookies to give the Disney trip to another child in need and she encourages her fellow Girl Scouts to do the same, “What I like best about Girl Scouts is helping people. Helping other people makes me feel like I am making a difference and it can help to inspire other people to help out as well.”

Check Out Anne on ABC7

Interview with Anne

What are your selling goals for next year?
Next year I want to sell 5,000 boxes of cookies and I want to give the trip to another kid who is sick because, many of the kids in Dolton and Riverdale do not have the chance to travel and I want to give a sick kid the trip so they can forget about being sick for a few days and have fun like regular kids. 

Anything else you’d like to share?
Never give up on something you want.

What do you love most about being a Girl Scout?
What I like best about Girl Scouts is helping people. Helping other people makes me feel like I am  making a difference and it can help to inspire other people to help out as well.

What inspired you to donate your cookies/trip to a Girl Scout? And how close are you to your goal?
I felt inspired to donate my trip after seeing a commercial with sick kids in it. It really made me sad for them because of how much they have to go to the hospital. It made me want to help someone.  

What would you like everyone to know about your donation initiative?
I want all kids to know that they can do big things because kids have big hearts and enough in them to make a change. One small thing can make a big difference.

Why should other Girl Scouts consider donating their rewards?
Girl Scouts all over should consider donating their trip and other prizes because there are so many kids who are sick, poor, or going through tough times. Donating to needy kids will brighten their day because they know someone cares about them. It feels good to help out other kids and their families

Giving Back—it’s in a Girl Scout’s DNA! 

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. 

Learn more about becoming a Girl Scout and spread the word!