Girl Scouts to the rescue.
Although Girl Scout Cookies are currently being sold online as in-person sales have been suspended due to social distancing guidelines, there are still some leftover cookies now that the season is coming to a close.
Fortunately, the organization is taking steps to make sure that families and local troops will not be financially burdened because of the leftover treats.
“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 to ensure that troops, girls, or volunteers aren’t left financially responsible for any excess inventory of Girl Scout Cookies,” a spokesperson from Girl Scouts of the USA tells PEOPLE in a statement.
“To that end, we have worked across our organization to create Cookie Care, a national sales link designed to approximate the traditional Girl Scout Cookie Program as closely as possible,” the spokesperson adds. “While we hope the nationwide link provides a boost to councils who have had to cancel traditional booth sales due to COVID-19, each participating Girl Scout council maintains control over their own individual cookie sale, and will work on individual timelines to arrive at individual solutions to ensure excess cookie inventory does not become a financial burden for troops – this might include everything from buy-backs to donation options, and there will be no one size fits all approach. Many councils have extended their sales deadlines, and will communicate their practices and guidelines to their troops at the end of their season.”
The organization also has a longstanding history of donating leftover cookies to local organizations.
“To ensure freshness, Girl Scouts only sell cookies produced for the current season. Therefore, if a council or troop has cookies left at the end of the sale, GSUSA encourages it to work with local food pantries and other charitable organizations to distribute cookies as a special treat for people seeking food relief services,” the organization said on their website.
“GSUSA works with our licensed bakers to ensure that they too have an annual plan for responsibly managing leftover cookie inventory,” they added.
In addition to authorizing online sales last month, GSUSA has also made self-guided lessons and activities available free online to ensure children continue learning while at home.
“For 108 years, Girl Scouts has been there in times of crisis and turmoil,” Girl Scouts CEO Sylvia Acevedo said in a press release last month. “We are stepping forward with new initiatives to help girls, their families, and consumers connect, explore, find comfort and take action.”
“By buying and donating cookies, Girl Scout Cookie fans are helping sustain our life-changing programs for girls — and bringing joy and comfort to those on the frontlines of this crisis,” Acevedo added.
The current cookie season started on Jan. 7.
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