Community Corner

Girl Scouts Ship Cookies to Troops Thanks to Local Donations

Southwest Riverside County residents purchased more than 150,000 packages of $4 cookies to be sent to military troops.

An estimated 300 Girl Scouts, parents and volunteers turned out for the annual “I Care Packing Party” at the The Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council Murrieta office Tuesday night, to prepare thousands of cookies for shipment to military troops.

During the three-hour event, Girl Scouts and their friends, danced, wrote cards and boxed cookies for shipment as part of the I CARE program.

“We had incredible success this year in Lake Elsinore and Wildomar and can’t say thank you enough to our customers,” said Cynthia Bertoldo, Lake Elsinore/Wildomar Troop 1124 leader.  “Our girls worked very hard and sold thousands of cookies for our troop and we’re shipping a ton of cookies to the military.”

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The I CARE program supports military service members, local food banks, women's shelters, Ronald McDonald houses, camps and several other community organizations. Customers who purchase Girl Scout cookies and snacks through annual product sales, can choose to donate product as gifts to any one of these deserving organizations.

“The Girl Scouts are about serving our community and this program is a great way to teach our young ladies about giving back,” Bertoldo said.

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According to officials at the Murrieta office, more than 150,000 packages of $4 cookies were purchased for donation.

“The selfless effort of the Girl Scouts, their leaders and volunteers is what has made our country great,” said Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, who had a representative at the event.  “I’m proud of these young ladies for setting goals, reaching those goals and caring about their community.

“We believe that in order to be a leader within your community, you have to truly become a part of that community,” the Girl Scouts website states. “San Gorgonio Council's I care program was created so that people could both support their local girl scout as well as support their local community and the military.”

—Contributed content


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