Giving the Gift of Caring to our Troops Overseas

Attention all supporters of the Girl Scouts of America, military members abroad, and cookie fans in general!

With the Girl Scout cookie season upon us, there is another way to support Girl Scouts while also reaching out to troops overseas to remind them that they are supported and not forgotten during their time away from their friends and family serving our nation: the Care and Share program!

Care and Share is a council-wide service project that gives the community the chance to donate cookies to military troops overseas and other nonprofit partners. The program provides Girl Scouts the opportunity to learn philanthropy.

• Troops collect monetary donations from customers (many customers prefer to donate money, rather than purchase products)
• The donations are then used by the council to purchase packages of cookies
• Those products get donated to our nonprofit Care and Share partners

How to donate to care and share

A number of Girl Scout councils are participating in the Care and Share program, including the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI). Here are some ways to donate:

• Talk to a Girl Scout: Girl Scouts can help you make a donation; use the Girl Scout cookie finder on their website to locate a booth site near you.
• Donate online through this form: The form is for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana; if applicable, insert the name and troop number of the girl who should receive credit for your donation when you reach the "Review Your Donation" section.
• Donate by phone: Call 1-855-ILOVEGS (456-8347), ext. 1974.
• Donate by email: Message me, Oscar Wiygul (SLAC Military Community ERG Lead) at owiygul@slac.standford.edu and express an interest in donating.

On a personal note, I can attest that receiving care packages is a unique joy that serving in the military brings. Being far from home in harsh conditions and having folks back home showing you they care definitely makes deployment easier. And who doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies?