Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW WA Provide Special Valentines for Portland-Metro Seniors (TODAY, Tuesday, 2/13/18 @ 3 p.m.)
Customers donate 8,551 purchased cookies for home-bound elderly and people in need through Girl Scout Gift of Caring program
PORTLAND, OR. -- February 13, 2018 -- This afternoon, on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GSOSW) will help load up 8,551 boxes of donated Girl Scout Cookies to help brighten this Valentine's season for older adults throughout the Portland metro area. The distribution is made possible through GSOSW's longstanding community partnership with Meal on Wheels People.
"We are thrilled to receive this donation of cookies from the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington," said Meals on Wheels People Executive Director Suzanne Washington. "Our participants, many of whom are unable to leave their homes, do not have the opportunity to purchase these cookies and love to receive them as part of their daily meal. We will put these to good use in the more than 5,000 meals we serve and deliver every weekday."
WHO | WHAT: Through its longstanding partnership with Meals on Wheels People, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington will donate 8,551 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to home-bound elderly in the greater Portland metro area. Just in time for the Valentine's season, this longstanding collaboration will bring cheer to older adults.
WHERE: Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington's Tualatin Depot, located at 19460 SW 118th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062.
WHEN: TODAY, Tuesday, February 13, 2018, 3:00 p.m.
VISUALS: Girl Scouts, staff and volunteers from Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington will load 8,551 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies into a Meal on Wheels People delivery truck. Cookies will be served in the coming weeks at dozens of Meals on Wheels People dining centers throughout the metro area and in Meals on Wheels delivered by volunteers to home-bound elderly.
ON-SITE INTERVIEWS: Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington's Director of Product Sales, Paige Walker, will be available on-site for media interviews along with Girl Scouts (in uniform).
**Interested media should R.S.V.P. to Sarah Shipe at 503-930-5275.**
ABOUT THE GIFT OF CARING PROGRAM
All throughout the Girl Scout Cookie season (through March 11, 2018), customers can opt to donate their purchased cookies through the Girl Scout Gift of Caring program. Purchases of cookies that are donated through this program are tax deductible. Most of the donated cookies are distributed to seniors and people in need throughout the region via partnerships with social service agencies, including the Meals on Wheels People, Marion-Polk Food Share and Clark County Food Bank.
"The Gift of Caring program is one of the many ways in which GSOSW Girl Scouts give back to their local communities," said Karen Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. "The Girl Scout Cookie Program helps to not only develop entrepreneurial skills in girls, but also fosters a lifelong commitment to giving back to others."
Girl Scout Troops can elect to choose their own Gift of Caring recipient, making the philanthropic effort of the program even more personal for their troop. Girls have chosen fire stations, military personnel, shelters, veterans and many other groups and organizations in their communities.
Throughout the 2018 cookie season, nearly 9,000 Girl Scouts, representing areas within 37 counties, will participate in this special program to donate Girl Scout Cookies which will get distributed to a variety of social service agencies throughout the region.
To learn more, please visit: http://www.girlscoutsosw.org/en/cookies/for-cookie-sellers/donation-programs.html
COOKIE BOOTH SALES AND COOKIE FINDER
Girl Scouts will sell cookies at booths in front of local retailers throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington from February 16 through March 11, 2018 for $5 per box.
Signature Girl Scout Cookies, including Thin Mints(R), Samoas(R) and Trefoils(R) will be offered among the eight Girl Scout Cookie varieties at all cookie booths. Back by popular demand are Girl Scout S'mores(TM) cookies! Girl Scout S'mores(TM) and gluten free Toffee-tastic(TM) specialty cookies are available at select cookie booths while supplies last.
Purchases of cookies that are donated through the Girl Scouts Gift of Caring program are tax deductible.
Customers can find a Girl Scout Cookie booth near their location with the Cookie Finder at www.girlscoutsosw.org or use the Girl Scout Cookie Finder app available for iPhone or Android.
ABOUT THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PROGRAM
A little more than a century ago, girls began participating in what would evolve into the largest entrepreneurial training program for girls in the world: the Girl Scout Cookie Program. To learn more about the history of the Girl Scout Cookie Program, please visit girlscoutcookies.org.
ABOUT GIRL SCOUTS OF OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
Our council serves 13,955 girls in 37 counties with the help of over 10,000 volunteers. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Every opportunity in Girl Scouting, including the Girl Scout Cookie Program, develops these essential skills in an all-girl, inclusive, safe environment. For more information, please visit girlscoutsosw.org.
ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS PEOPLE
Meals on Wheels People has been changing lives, one meal at a time, since 1970. They provide nutritious meals to older adults at dozens of meal sites in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties, and Meals on Wheels delivery to home-bound seniors. With the help of 5,000 volunteers, the nonprofit organization now serves 5,000 meals daily and 1.1 million meals each year. For more information, please visit: www.mealsonwheelspeople.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Shipe (née Miller), Director of Communications
Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington
503-977-6861, Office
503-930-5275, Mobile
**Interested media should R.S.V.P. to Sarah Shipe at 503-930-5275.**