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What We Girl Scouts Can Do
Updated: 12/8/2012
Girl Scout Uniform Collection Drive
See this facebook site looking for Girl Scout Uniforms:
https://www.facebook.com/OperationBeASister
Newsletter from Girl Scout Council of Connecticut:
We are with you!
We know that these past two weeks have not been easy for many across the state. First,
Hurricane Sandy hit with a terrific force; destroying homes, knocking out power to over
700,000 Connecticut residents, and causing massive flooding. Sandy was followed by a
nor’easter one week later, giving Connecticut its first snow of the season and catching many
travelers by surprise. Our thoughts are with all of you who are still attempting to recover
your homes and normal lives.
Likewise, we have received many questions from Girl Scouts, leaders, and volunteers who
want to know: How can we help?
It has meant so much us, as well as to the CEOs of the eight highly impacted councils in New
York and New Jersey, that you want to help. In response to this, Girl Scouts of the USA has
temporarily lifted money earning restrictions to enable girls to raise money for Girl Scouting
recovery efforts. This means that girls can raise money for Girl Scout councils in Connecticut,
New York, and New Jersey. Please note that at this time, we are not allowing troop
fundraising for other organizations.
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Learn more about how to help Girl Scouts of Connecticut. (copied below)
Learn more about how to help our sister councils in New York and New Jersey.
(copied below)
As always, we thank you for your help and your concern through this difficult time. If you are
aware of any Girl Scout families in Connecticut directly affected by the storm, please email
general@gsofct.org and let us know. You are all doing great things to help make the world a
better place, as we continue to clean up the aftermath these storms left behind.
Hurricane Sandy Recovery: Help Girl Scouts of Connecticut
Thank you for your interest in Hurricane Sandy Recovery efforts. Here are two ways you can help here
in Connecticut:
Help Girl Scouts of Connecticut. We sustained quite a bit of damage from wind and falling trees at our
camps, including losing our Yurt at Camp Rocky Craig. We also lost six wood tent platforms, and have
an immense amount of work inspecting and removing branches hanging from the trees at our camps.
You can help by giving online or sending a check by December 15 to the Sandy Recovery fund at Girl
Scouts of Connecticut, 340 Washington Street, Hartford, CT 06106. Please be sure to indicate your
gift is for Sandy Recovery.
Help your local community through service. Across our state, people are still struggling to get back on
their feet and many of our Girl Scout troops have already been out and about providing service in
their towns. Yet there is so much more to do. We encourage girls and troops to look in their own
communities and offer their assistance to local recovery efforts.
As always, we thank you for your help and your concern through this difficult time. You are all doing
great things to help make the world a better place, as we continue to clean up the aftermath these
storms left behind.
Hurricane Sandy Recovery: Help NY and NJ
Thank you for your interest in helping with Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York and New
Jersey.
Our sister Girl Scout councils in New York and New Jersey sustained quite a bit of damage due to the
storm. In response to this, Girl Scouts of the USA developed an online giving site where girls/troops
may contribute to one of eight councils affected. If interested in giving to other states, we encourage
girls/troops to make contributions directly to the online giving site. We’ve been asked to refrain from
calling the affected councils directly, but please know that the councils appreciate your concern and
care!
While material donations and troop offers of assistance are appreciated, the councils are not currently
in a position to process and organize them. It has meant so much to those affected councils that
people want to reach out and help. The moral support and encouragement is greatly appreciated.
As always, we thank you for your help and your concern through this difficult time. You are all doing
great things to help make the world a better place, as we continue to clean up the aftermath these
storms left behind.
If you would like information on helping Girl Scouts in Connecticut, click here.
Press Release from Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of GSUSA:
Dear Girl Scouts,
Last week was a tumultuous one for the country—and for Girl Scouting. Hurricane Sandy
swept through the East Coast and left a trail of destruction in its wake. I am so proud,
however, that throughout it all, Girl Scouts in even the most affected areas have done what
they do best: rolled up their sleeves and gone to work serving others in a time of need. We
teach our girls to take the lead, to act with courage, confidence and character, and to make
the world a better place. Our girls have done just that.
Girl Scouts like Tandi Ackerman from the Atlantic City area, who with her sister Girl Scouts
took the lead right after the storm to go door to door to collect items for those displaced
and in shelters. “We are bringing clothes, and canned goods, and baby items, because a lot
of people stocked up and didn't get as hurt as other people did,” Tandi told a local TV
station. “So we thought it was a good idea to ask people for their extra things.” Tandi made
a difference and so did members of Girl Scout Troop 5327, who did not waste any time in
pitching in to help their sister troop members with cleanup efforts after the storm wreaked
havoc on the New York City borough of Staten Island. The efforts by girls and volunteers
spanned the country, from Staten Island to San Francisco, and even our Girl Scout council in
New York’s Suffolk County has opened its office to local residents without electricity as a
place to warm up and charge their electronic devices.
In all, eight of our councils bore the brunt of Hurricane Sandy, four in New Jersey and four in
New York. They are assisting staff members who have been affected by the storm and
assessing damage to their facilities. If you would like to support our eight councils in their
rebuilding efforts, you can do so at donate.girlscouts.org/hurricanerecovery. Our councils will
need help in rebuilding and you can assist most directly by making a financial donation.
Girl Scouts across the country have already played an important role in the relief and
recovery efforts, and I know they will continue to do so in the weeks and months to come.
Please visit our website often as it will be our hub for highlighting Girl Scouts and their
leadership during what will be a long road recovery. Our research makes clear that Girl
Scouting works, and it is in times of crisis and duress that the leadership lessons our girls
learn are most clearly visible. I want to thank all Girl Scouts for their caring and concern and
for the leadership they have displayed during Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath.
Sincerely,
Anna Maria Chávez
Chief Executive Officer
Girl Scouts of the USA