{"id":11346,"date":"2023-05-19T12:04:06","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T16:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=11346"},"modified":"2023-05-19T12:04:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T16:04:06","slug":"girl-scout-troop-6000-sells-cookies-to-help-girls-experiencing-homelessness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2023\/05\/girl-scout-troop-6000-sells-cookies-to-help-girls-experiencing-homelessness.html","title":{"rendered":"Girl Scout Troop 6000 Sells Cookies to Help Girls Experiencing Homelessness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sheila Fitzgerald\/Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Girl Scouts\u2019 annual cookie sale, which wrapped up earlier this month, is vital for every troop. However, it\u2019s especially crucial for Troop 6000, which comprises girls living in shelters or experiencing homelessness. Troop 6000\u2019s cookie sales cover all fees for the girls, including summer camps, trips, and other activities.<\/p>\n

Since 2017, the troop has sold over $1.6 million in cookies, benefitting almost 2,500 girls and women in more than 20 shelters in Greater New York. Nine-year-old Gilesy, who\u2019s lived in a New York City shelter for over a year, said, \u201cI was a very shy person, but when I realized you could go on all these adventures, I was like, \u2018Mommy, I\u2019m not shy anymore.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mother, Giselle Burgess, is the reason Troop 6000 exists. In 2017, she lived in a shelter with her five children while working at Girl Scouts of Greater New York. She asked her boss if she could start a troop, and her boss agreed. She said, \u201cIt\u2019s such a discouraging and scary time already to live in a shelter. It was exciting to see girls as they were walking by, participating and laughing in one room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burgess and her family no longer live in a shelter, and Troop 6000 has thrived under her leadership as program director. The troop sells cookies at booths in the New York City area for a few days every year, and Bank of America matched those sales this year. The troop also sells cookies online.<\/p>\n

The funds help the troop hold Girl Scouts activities and launch programs like the Troop 6000 Transition Initiative to support scouts and their families as they transition to permanent housing. Troop 6000 has inspired similar troops around the country, like Greater Iowa, Middle Tennessee, the Sierra Nevada region, Orange County, California, and Los Angeles. A viral 2021 tweet<\/a> also helped Troop 6000 gain attention.<\/p>\n