Local Girl Scouts Donate 30,000 Boxes of Cookies to Meals on Wheels People

Portland, OR. Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington have donated more than 30,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies for distribution to homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels People, more than doubling their total donation in 2021. On May 24th, local Girl Scouts visited the Meals on Wheels People Central Kitchen in Southwest Portland to assist with the large cookie delivery, and help pack meal deliveries for recipients, including boxes of Lemon-Ups Girl Scout Cookies in each delivery.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of the Girl Scouts organization,” said Suzanne Washington, Chief Executive Officer at Meals on Wheels People. “Donations like this inspire us; we believe it showcases the idea that people of any age can make a difference in their community. This donation allows us to provide homebound older adults in our community with some of their favorite treats, such as Thin Mints and Samoas—and it considerably reduces our costs for providing desserts with our meals, freeing up funds that we can reinvest into other critical programs.”

“We’re delighted to present this Girl Scout Cookie donation on behalf of the Girl Scouts who worked hard to collect them and the generous customers who donated them,” said Shannon Evers, Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. “Girls learn so much by participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program—from goal setting to money management—and with the Gift of Caring program, they also learn first-hand the power of working together with others to give back to their community. It’s heart-warming to think about the joy these cookies will bring to local seniors, and our girls are truly proud of their part in that.”

Esther (Essie) Kiblinger, a 12-year-old troop member with the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington shared a heartwarming interaction with a customer this year: “When I called [a customer] to ask if she wanted to purchase cookies, she said she didn’t want to buy any cookies for herself, but when I told her about the option to donate cookies to Meals on Wheels People, she felt really passionate about the cause and decided to purchase $200 worth of cookies to donate to Meals on Wheels People. It made me really happy to know she wanted to support such a great organization, and I loved hearing her story.”

About Meals on Wheels People:
Meals on Wheels People has been changing lives, one meal at a time, since 1970. We provide more than a meal to thousands of older adults in the greater Portland metro area. Our service not only alleviates hunger and social isolation but allows seniors to live independently with dignity in their own homes. Aging in place reduces depression, falls, and hospitalization as well as the high cost of institutional care. For more information, visit mowp.org.

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, visit girlscoutcookies.org.

About Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington:
In partnership with more than 6,800 adult members, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington prepares more than 11,500 girls in grades K-12 for a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. GSOSW’s programs in civic engagement, financial literacy, the outdoors, and STEM serve girls in 35 counties in Oregon, and Clark, Klickitat and Skamania counties in Southwest Washington. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. For more information or to join Girl Scouts today, visit girlscoutsosw.org.