Girl Scouts – Great Plains Council has created a new program to give girls the opportunity to learn more about philanthropy and community service. It is called Service from the Heart and it is simple to participate. Troops choose a charitable organization(s) in their community to visit and deliver boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to, and then ask customers if they would like to purchase an extra box (or two or three) to be donated to their chosen charity. In addition to providing Girl Scout Cookies to support their charity, troops are encouraged to visit their charity for an educational tour, demonstration of services or special program. Troops can continue to build their relationship with their charity throughout the year with additional community service projects.

Troops are encouraged to design a special Service from the Heart flyer to attach to the girls’ order cards to describe their involvement in the program. Troops participating in Cookie Shops can continue to collect donations; a poster on their table and maybe a big thank you card customers can sign would add to the program.

Troops may choose any organization that serves our community as their Service from the Heart recipient. It is the responsibility of the troop to contact the organization and make arrangements for donation and delivery. Troops who wish to donate cookies to our service men and women overseas will need to find a contact within the military and coordinate the details for overseas shipment themselves. The troop may wish to find a sponsor to help pay for shipping.

Troops participating in this new program receive a special Service from the Heart patch for each girl selling one or more box(s) of Service from the Heart Cookies.