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SkiP HappEns Podcast
Empowering Communities: The Evolution and Impact of the Girl Scout Cookie Program
Good morning, welcome to the Community Connection. My name is Skip Clark. We have another great informative program for you. You know, it's that time of the year and the Girl Scouts and their cookies are going to be available, if not already, real soon. And we're going to be chatting with Jamie Alvarez. Jamie is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Girl Scouts of Nipen Pathways Incorporated. Good morning, jamie. Good morning, how are you, man, it's been a little bit since you and I have sat down and actually had a discussion about Girl Scout cookies.
Speaker 2:It has it's probably since last January. So yeah, it's officially Girl Scout cookie season now again.
Speaker 1:It is, and you're just coming off a big event. Yesterday it was at the Museum of Science and Technology, correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we had our. We call it Cookie. Wow, it's our in-person cookie rally to kick off the season with our Girl Scouts members, and it's actually the first one we've had in person in five years, which is crazy to believe, but you know, 2020 was the last time we had it. And then the world shut down and here, we are.
Speaker 2:It was great. It was at the most. So our members got to do activities around the skills they learned through the cookie program, and then they had the rest of the day to enjoy the museum.
Speaker 1:Did you tell me off the air you had like 500. Now that's, that's a big number, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:We did so we had. It was 250 per session, a little under 250 per session, yeah. So we had close to 500. Those were, you know, it's a mix of Girl Scouts and mostly either like a caregiver that brought an individual Girl Scout or a troop and their leader. So predominantly it was the majority of the attendees were the Girl Scouts or the girls. So that's really awesome. It's got to be an exciting. Majority of the attendees were the Girl Scouts or the girls, so that's really awesome.
Speaker 1:It's got to be an exciting time of the year for you and the Girl Scouts right now With everything that's going on. I know I saw the boxes of Girl Scout cookies at the radio station. And I'm like we got to lock them up. Let me just say that they are so good, but you know, I want to talk about the 2025 cookie season a little bit. This is your 108th year of Girl Scouts selling cookies, Is that correct?
Speaker 2:That's correct Nationwide. So the program began in 1917, and it was a little grassroots program. It was a small troop in Oklahoma, if I'm getting that right, and they did a bake sale. They actually did an election day bake sale and they made their own shortbread cookies and that has since grown into. You know what it is today. It's just part of this like culture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what does this actually mean to the Girl Scouts? Now, for example, NYPEN Pathways Council.
Speaker 2:So the awesome thing about the Girl Scout cookie program is all of the proceeds raised stay local to power the Girl Scout leadership experience and to allow Girl Scouts to do wonderful things like travel and go to summer camp and you know all those different things that they do and build those important leadership and life skills. But the really cool thing is there's, you know, 112 councils nationwide. We're one of them. All the proceeds stay local, so all the money raised stays right here within our council footprint.
Speaker 1:And that's why we have you on, because we're Hometown Radio, so it all goes together and that's what we love here at Inner Harbor Media. Now you said this started back in 1917. But what are some of the most, if you can, because you've been doing this for a little bit- what are some of the most notable changes that you've seen in recent years?
Speaker 2:Well, I've been with NYPEN for eight almost eight years coming up in February and so the biggest thing is just the technology piece, right as things have evolved with the cookie program. Obviously, back in the day girls were going door to door, they were still running community booths, they were taking orders on traditional paper order cards and then in the 2000s we went into like the digital mode. So they still do the traditional paper order card, they still run community booths. We have them in February and March this year so you can put your zip code in the cookie finder and, you know, find a local booth if you don't have a Girl Scout connection.
Speaker 2:Because you can only get Girl Scout cookies from a registered Girl Scout. I can't sell them to you. Another staff member can't. It has to come from a registered Girl Scout, but that digital piece. So they all have what's called a digital cookie, personalized link and it's a web page and they tell their story there.
Speaker 2:They say why they're participating in the program, what goals they're hoping to achieve, how much they're hoping you know how many boxes they're hoping to sell to raise funds for what they want to do with that and so it's like a piece of digital marketing for them. So they're you know some of them put up video messaging and then through that site they can email their customers.
Speaker 2:So it's really cool for me as a marketing communications person to think that even our little daisies are working with their caregiver to set up their cookie, their digital cookie site, and send off emails to grandma and grandpa in Florida and ask if they want to buy cookies. So pretty cool. No, I do love that.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, it's just amazing when you think about how that has changed along with everything else. Yeah, it's just amazing when you think about how that has changed along with everything else. It's just actually. It's more convenient, it's just, and it's got to help with the sales too, you know, making it easier.
Speaker 2:It does, you know it connects them. You know, I think part of the tough part is trying to connect the consumer with the Girl Scout Because, like I said, you can only buy them from a registered Girl Scout. And if you've gotten to the point where you maybe you know your children are older and you don't have a Girl Scout, you don't have a grandchild, that's a Girl Scout. You don't have somebody in the workplace that's bringing their kiddo in to talk to you about the cookies, you might think, wow, like I want cookies, but I don't know how to support the program or or them, because I just don't have anybody in my neighborhood anymore. So that digital piece is really cool, it's really important and you know, obviously, even with all the advances today, that true purpose behind the cookie sale remains the same and it's to power their experiences all year round.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you mentioned the fact that the cookie sales stay local, but how does this impact the community and what specific initiatives will the fund support this year?
Speaker 2:Right. So every year, you know, everything in Girl Scouts is girl led, so the girls are deciding, you know, as troops and individuals, what they want to do with those funds In terms of staying local. Well, they're going to be attending summer camp. We have four properties across our council footprint which, so that's hitting the local area. They're, you know, participating in community service projects with their troop and maybe maybe using some of their cookie funds to help, you know, buy a buddy bench, if that's something like maybe they're putting a buddy bench at the playground at their school or they're doing some, you know, revitalization of a piece of land somewhere in their community and doing, you know, community gardening if they see like a food need. So they're working on community service and badge work and their highest awards we have gold, silver and bronze in our movement, excuse me and you know, when the cookie sales happen, the funding goes back and they decide what they want to do with that. So it all really does truly stay local.
Speaker 1:And it does stay local and the Girl Scouts gain valuable life skills, I would assume, like goal setting and money management and people skills, but could you share some real life examples of how these skills have helped Girl Scouts in their personal and professional lives?
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:So, you know, through the cookie program, even the littlest, you know, our daisies and brownies, they're all developing that entrepreneurial spirit, you know, and they're getting courage, confidence and character, which you know is our mission to.
Speaker 2:You know, go out and talk to people so you talk about like people skills, they're getting in front of people and they're they're talking and like who knows like maybe then that Girl Scout will grow up to be like Jamie Alvarez and be a spokesperson for an organization, right, or with what they're doing in the community, you know they're, they're making those connections of community, community connections, those global connections. So if they're using their cookie funding towards work on their highest award, our gold award, girl scouts are doing 80 hours of work towards, you know, finding a solution to a problem that they find in their community or the world and coming up with something sustainable. So you know, like I talked about the guard, the community garden, you know those are, those are real world examples of how the money and the skills that they're learning through the cookie program you then transfer out and are making an impact right away in the communities that they live in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what about you know? Let's talk about the role of the community itself. Can you talk a little bit about the relationship, maybe, between local communities and the Girl Scout cookie sales, and how do customers contribute to the success of the program?
Speaker 2:Right. Well, you know, customers do a few things, Obviously. They're buying the cookies, they're supporting the program, they're supporting the girls, the troops that are selling the cookies. We're, you know, our council, is partnering with local businesses even mom and pop shops, you know, to set up booths for our troops. So we, you know, some of the troops, go out on their own and they find local organizations and businesses where they can set up a booth during the booth sale period. But the council also works, you know, with folks in different areas to be able to say, like you know, maybe we work with a bigger chain store and we can set up, you know, booth locations across our footprint, because we do serve 26 counties, 24 in New York and two in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2:So there's that piece of it so supporting either, you know, through buying the cookies, through giving a space for the troops to have a booth to sell cookies. And then we also do what we call our Sweet Support Gift of Caring. It's a service project. So there may be folks out there that just don't like cookies, or they don't, they can't eat cookies or for whatever reason they don't want the physical cookies, but they still want to support the girls during the cookie sale so they can donate cookie purchases and at the end of our season, every year, we donate those cookies to a local community organization. We try to find organizations that stretch across our entire footprint. So, like this year, we're partnering with the Rescue Mission. So all of those yeah, so all of those donated cookies will then go to the Rescue Mission and how they would like to use those for the folks that utilize their services. So it's all giving back and it's all good right.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, that's great. That's great. So when you talk about booths, we're still going to see the the table set up outside, maybe a local Walmart or a local tops or I'm not sure where I know. I have seen them in the past as I walked into Walmart. So they're still going to be doing all that. It's not just online. So you've been talking booths.
Speaker 2:Right, right, yeah. So booths, our booth sale period is traditionally we've only run it in March. This cookie season, we're running it in February and March, so it's a little bit longer. Yeah, that's never gone away. You know, we had to get creative during, you know, 2021 and 22,.
Speaker 2:And a lot of the troops are doing drive-up booths, and some of that has stayed as well. So, instead of, you know, walking up to the booth in front of the store, like you said, or maybe it's even tucked inside the entrance to the store, we have some troops that still are running drive-up booths, which is great because they set up. They set up in a parking lot in a high-traffic area. They work with the business there. They have a safe space for cars to sort of loop around. And you know, they're really inventive, like there's one right near my house at Kinney, and the girl set up and you pull in and the first girl takes your order and then the second girl packs the order in the back of your car and you pay the third girl and off you go. So it's like cookies, right? Yeah, yep, if you're lucky, they make it home, yeah.
Speaker 1:You know they are so good and the fun and flavor end of all this you know. If I'm not mistaken, there's nine classic cookie varieties. Let me see if I get this right Adventure Fools, do-si-do's, girl Scout S'mores, lemon Ups, samoa's Tagalongs, thin Mints, toffee-tastic and the Trefoils.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're good, Like you have them memorized. Yes, we have nine.
Speaker 1:Well, Jamie, let me just let you in on the secret I have your email up in front of me right here in the studio. But no, I got to say my favorite would be. I'll let you guess. What do you think my favorite is?
Speaker 2:It's pretty popular. Well, let's see, because I I know the top three okay, what are the top three?
Speaker 1:what are the top?
Speaker 2:so so our top three sellers nationwide. So this is everywhere, not just, uh, central New York. But Thin Mints are number one seller nationwide.
Speaker 1:That's my favorite ding, ding, ding, ding, okay, that's your favorite too.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, and a lot of people put them in the freezer. I don't know know where. A lot of people have asked me where did that come from? I have no idea, somebody.
Speaker 1:We. If you were to open the freezer door in our storage room and a freezer there, you're going to find plenty of boxes of Thin Mints.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, same here. And then the second bestseller is the Samoa that, that's the one that has the caramel coconut chocolate, chocolate stripes yes, yes it has a hole in the middle. Yep, and then tag along is the number three, that's the chocolate. It's peanut butter covered with chocolate, and then the others fall into place, and it's something that's you know. Everybody always asks what's new this year. Well, we don't have any new cookies. But what's new and it's also kind of sad is that they're retiring the Girl Scouts more this year.
Speaker 1:I read that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's your last chance to get that one why. You know, stack up and put them in your freezer and put them in your pantry and hold on to them and then you know you're supporting the local Girl Scouts at the same time. But yeah, they're retiring that one.
Speaker 1:Jamie Alvarez why?
Speaker 2:I don't make those decisions. That's above me.
Speaker 1:No, I got it. You said your favorite was the Thin Mint as well.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:Cool.
Speaker 2:That's my favorite.
Speaker 1:What are the wow? This is pretty exciting. Before I get to my next question, they are $6 a box. Am I correct? Okay, they are and whether it's at a booth or it's online, there's still $6 a box.
Speaker 2:Correct Online you may have to add in shipping, because if you decide to have it shipped they do direct shipment. That does cost a little bit more. Or if you're in the local area, you can click you know, if you're ordering from your neighborhood Girl Scout and they give you their digital cookie link. You can click Girl Delivery and that's free, which is pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as we look ahead, though, what are the long-term goals for the Girl Scout cookie program? How do you envision it continuing to evolve in the next decade or so?
Speaker 2:I think it will continue to evolve as girls today evolve right. So I'm sure that something you know, somewhere down the line we, you know we went from um. You know line we went from. You know girls still do walkabouts. You know it's when they actually go around the neighborhood. It's not probably as popular now just because the world has changed. I think there'll still be booths, I think there definitely will still be a digital component and who knows what the next thing will be. I mean, we have an app, so that's there. The cookie finder's online you can put in your zip code. I think it will be interesting to see you know 5, 10, 15 years from now where the cookie program goes. But I I'm confident that it will evolve to meet up with today's girls right that's exactly how it is and it's already.
Speaker 1:It's already evolved a lot because of the digital aspect of all this, which is pretty cool, and if we could go back to that just for a moment. You can't do that right now. You have to wait till what? February 21st or no, it depends.
Speaker 2:So if you have a Girl Scout in your life or in your office or in your neighborhood, you can order from their digital cookie link. Now, If you don't have a personal Girl Scout connection, you can do one of two things. If you're local, you can go to our website and there's actually a link where you can order cookies right now to support our travel troops. So it's a number of girls Actually. They went to the Galapagos Islands this summer.
Speaker 2:You know a lot of that was funded by yeah, by their cookie. The cookie funds that they raised.
Speaker 1:They're going to england.
Speaker 2:It's amazing and you know what someone said to me the other day I I had no idea that girl scouts travel and like it's it, that's part of right, like we're teaching them leadership skills. What better way to be leaders and to see the world right and to experience it?
Speaker 2:um and to you know, get out of your comfort zone and gain that courage, confidence and character. So the travel troop this year this summer, this spring, is going to England, ireland and Wales. They have a trip scheduled to Australia in 26 or 27. So if you want to order them, you can actually support that travel troop through our council. Or if you want to wait a little bit longer and maybe try to find them at a booth sale, you can use the cookie finder. In February and March, put your zip code in and if you wanted to order them online, that's when those they're called troop ordering links. They'll pop up based on local troops in your area starting February 21st. So there's many ways to get you know your hands on.
Speaker 1:Probably like so many others, I had no idea that they were doing trips like that, and a trip like that is not only fun, it's very educational.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and you learn a lot.
Speaker 1:I've been to England, scotland and Wales and so much to see and so much to do, and it was many, many years ago. But there's so much to learn too.
Speaker 2:So much to learn and it gets them outside of their you know comfort zone we too, yeah. And it gets them outside of their you know comfort zone. We're teaching them how to be leaders and to have courage, confidence and character and they're taking those you know safe risks right. They're, they're there, they're with a troop leader, and that's. The other thing is we we have girls that go on these travel excursions. Sometimes the caregiver will will go, but other times it's. You know it's a group of girls and then there's a ratio of adult chaperones, so we have staff that go and chaperone these. So you know these could be girls. That a couple of them were telling our staff. You know, I've never flown on a plane before and here they are flying on a plane, you know, to Japan, like that was two years ago.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh Isn't that awesome Like amazing things and they're getting there because they've raised enough money through their cookie sale to, you know, either cover the cost or to cover at least part of the cost of that destination experience.
Speaker 1:You know, we all pick up our smartphone and we all text.
Speaker 2:I don't care if you say you don't, but I know you do.
Speaker 1:All right, same thing with me. We text. Now I'm reading that if I text cookies to 59618, it's 59618,. I can stay informed about how to purchase Girl Scout cookies and other national Girl Scout news. Is that true? That's cool.
Speaker 2:That is true. Yeah, you can. You can. That's the national cookie text line. We actually have a local one too, and it's right on our website. Next line we actually have a local one too, and it's right on our website.
Speaker 2:So you could, you can do that one, especially if you're you know, if you're listening right now or if you have a, you know, have a connection to Girl Scouts here but you live outside the area, that will give you, you know, connection to information through Girl Scouts of the USA. It's great for folks that were like involved in our now and considered, like our alum, that maybe want to get involved again and become adult volunteers or just want to, you know, keep you know on top of what's happening in Girl Scouts nationwide. And then our local texting number again will help you connect with our local council to find booths. And also, if you know you can use that text number and once you get into our system, then if you know you have a grandchild or a kiddo that wants to get involved, that you know we can. Our staff, our customer care staff, can put those folks in touch with you know, our recruitment team and help get some new members.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly Now. What can we just talk about the membership a little bit. I know this has been mostly about the cookies, but if somebody is listening and they've got a young lady that would like to get involved in Girl Scouts, what is the procedure for all that? How does that work?
Speaker 2:If they're in the local area, they can go right to our website, gsnypennorg, and they can click join and then they will get information about how to become either a youth member, if they're a caregiver signing up their kiddo, or if they want to get involved as an adult volunteer. They fill out information and then complete their membership and they're, you know, matched up to either a local troop. If there's no troop in the area, customer care from our council will give them a call and find out. You know, do you want to participate? They can participate individually, as called the Juliet after our founder, juliet Gordon Lowe, and that's just under the guidance of an adult mentor, which is usually the parent. They can be part of a troop or they can start a troop.
Speaker 2:So say, there's a little girl that's in kindergarten and wants to become a Girl Scout and mom's interested or dad's interested or grandma's interested in being the troop leader and finding another trusting adult to be the co-leader. They can form a troop in that area as well. So the nice thing about Girl Scouts is you can join at any time. A lot of our troops. They run very similar to the school year, but you can join at any time. You can decide hey, like this sounds so cool and I want to be involved and I want to sell cookies and I want to travel the world, I want to become a Girl Scout. You could sign up today, get enrolled and, once you're registered Girl Scout, get your digital cookie link, set up your cookie program and off you go it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:It's a beautiful thing. We've been uh chatting with Jamie Alvarez. Jamie is the vice president of marketing and communications and so well spoken, talking about the Girl Scouts and Nipen Pathways, incorporated from the Syracuse office. They have a big area that they cover and she's got her hands full, but it's the busy time of the year and, jamie, how many cookies do you have in your office right now?
Speaker 2:Well, my office is pretty like I just have my media appearance. You know cookies that I bring on TV with me, but we have a lot of cookies in the back area of our office and then they're not all here yet though. So, like those are mostly our. You know they're our PR cookies that we're working with and you know we give to folks that visit, but once the cookies come in they go to a couple different warehouse locations across our footprint. As you said, we cover a pretty big area and then we do what we call a cookie depot. It's cookie delivery week and there's a location where you know service units and troops will get their, they'll pick up their orders and then they distribute them out. So that happens in February and it's pretty cool just to see. I love going to the warehouses and just seeing this tax.
Speaker 1:I know, I know pallets of cookies.
Speaker 2:Um, pretty cool.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you know this about me. I was a firefighter for a lot of years and I remember uh, we opened up the station for the truck to show up the tractor trailer because we were one of those locations where they all loaded. And then the girl scouts would come through and pick up what was assigned to them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome and we work with a lot of, you know, fire departments and things, so that's, that's great. Cause you guys have the big garage doors, we can get the cars in and load them up and drive in, drive out Like Tetris packing the back of the leader's car with those boxes of cookies. But yeah, it's amazing, it's so cool. Everybody is all hands on deck from mom and dad, to troop leaders, to the girls.
Speaker 1:I absolutely love this. We've been talking to, like I said, jamie Alvarez, vice President Marketing and Communications for the Girl Scouts, and iPenn Pathways Incorporated. 95% of this conversation has been about what is happening and it's awesome. It's the cookie sale. I know it's something we all look forward to and everybody talks about the cookies from the Girl Scouts and the nine different flavors, but this is like your major fundraiser for the year. I'm correct, all right.
Speaker 2:Yes, you're correct, yep.
Speaker 1:Quickly though, before we say goodbye what other big fundraisers do you do as the Girl Scouts?
Speaker 2:So we have another product program which is not as well known as the cookie program. We actually just wrapped it up in the end of November. It runs in October, november. It's called Treats, Reads and More. So the Girl Scouts are out there and they, you know, they're selling nut and candy items which are great like holiday gifts, magazines, subscriptions, things like that. So that helps bring in those kind of starter funds. For most troops, you know, back to troop time is usually September and October, so that gives them some funding to sort of start their Girl Scout year with. Then, you know, they get through cookie season and then the spring is really there's a lot of community service happening and then they're working obviously towards their awards and badge work and also getting ready to go to summer camp. So not all of our members go to summer camp but many do. So that's where that, you know, being part of one of these product programs helps them earn experience, credits and funds to then put towards things like summer camp.
Speaker 1:So now I would assume, correct me if I'm wrong. Chances are I may be. But uh, if I wanted to make just a monetary donation to the Girl Scouts, would. I be able to go to the website, click on a button and make it happen.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Click donate, donate yeah. Right there it happen. Absolutely Click donate, donate yeah.
Speaker 1:Right there in front of you Got it.
Speaker 2:We take straight donations too, but I always say the fun thing about cookies since we are in the beginning of our cookie season is consider that a donation with a sweet treat as your gift Right. Think of it that way.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely, jamie. Thanks for taking the time to join me here this morning. It's Jamie Alvarez, vice President, marketing and Communications, girl Scouts and I-PEN Pathways Incorporated the Syracuse office, but she covers a whole lot of area. Just, you know, you're doing it and you've been doing it for eight years, like you said you got, I know. Does that seemed like a long time? Not at all, I bet you. It went by so fast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it did. You know what it did, but you know it's great and you know what you can't beat working for an organization that has such a great mission right, so it's all good.
Speaker 1:It's all about the Girl Scouts and the girls. It's all about feeling good and believing in what you do.
