Everyone loves a good yearly tradition. They are what serve as markers for each year's passing. Fun activities to look forward to every year so that it doesn't just feel like time passing us by. You might not look forward to every single yearly tradition, but there are surely some you must enjoy.
I am not just talking about holidays either. Sure, we all look forward to Christmas or Thanksgiving, but here are some yearly traditions that are even sweeter. I am talking about Girl Scout Cookie season. The time of year when Girl Scouts sell their delicious cookies to raise money for their troops.
At the beginning of 2020, we were in peak Girl Scout Cookie season. It was set to be another great year for them, but then disaster struck. The Coronavirus swept the nation and made face-to-face sales impossible. That is why Girl Scouts all over are left with thousands of unsold cookies.
The tough part about the coronavirus pandemic is that it is hard to calculate just how much everyone is affected. We are still seeing the ripple effects of the coronavirus on different businesses and people. One example is the poor Girl Scouts of America who were right in the middle of their Girl Scout cookie season when the stay-at-home orders were struck.
The issue with the Girl Scouts and their cookies is that now they and their parents are left with tons of inventory of cookies that they would have otherwise been able to sell face to face. Usually their cookie sales last for six to eight weeks into April, but with stay at home orders, the Girl Scouts had to stop selling in mid-March. “The COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. hard in the midst of cookie season, so many girls and councils haven't been able to sell their inventory due to social distancing and other safety precautions.”
Girl Scouts will typically sell their cookies at major public events by setting up tables and depending on foot traffic. That isn't happening anymore. Wendy Haseley is a troop leader in New York. She told TODAY, “I have two girls in my troop who usually sell 2,500 boxes each, so I order enough cookies at the beginning (of the season) to have on hand for them. They would normally sell between 750 and 1,000 boxes at the St. Patrick's Day parades — but those were canceled."
Many Girl Scout troops are worried about losing funds for their troops after the losses of all the unsold products. Luckily, the Girl Scouts of America aren't leaving their troops high and dry. “Girl Scouts of the USA is working closely with our 111 local council across the country who administer the iconic Girl Scout Cookie program to try and ensure that troops, girls, and volunteers aren't left financially responsible for any excess inventory of Girl Scout Cookies.”
The Girl Scouts are pivoting to digital sales to sell their cookies. A digital platform called Cookie Care has been launched. Previously, a user had to know a Girl Scout to purchase cookies from the platform. Now the Girl Scouts have lifted restrictions and anyone can log on and buy from the area code of their choice. The site also allows users to donate cookies to local causes, first responders, and volunteers.
Usually Girl Scouts are not allowed to use social platforms like Facebook to sell, but the Girl Scouts are lifting those restrictions: "You still cannot post on public sites but you can make posts public. Previously, we could only take credit card payments at cookie booths and they have opened that up for girls to be able to take cards for orders they receive — which helps maintain social distancing. They have also shown how girls can do a virtual sale using Facebook live."
