Buying cookies from this Girl Scout Troop will directly help homeless girls

It is the Girl Scout cookie season and as we get ready to indulge in several delicacies offered by them, we should be familiar with the causes you would be supporting. Girl Scout Troop 6000 was created to support the homeless girls in New York City. The city's homeless shelters house an estimated 70,000 individuals and families typically remain there for 18 months before moving into permanent housing. Troop 6000 assists girls in finding supportive relationships and personal friendships throughout that transition, reports TODAY.

According to the website, "Each week, Troop 6000 meets in shelters across the city. Troop meetings are facilitated by trained troop leaders – women, also living in the shelter system paired with community-based volunteers – and give girls the opportunity to make new friends, earn badges, and see themselves as leaders in their communities." Giselle Burgess, a single mother of five who had lost her home, founded Troop 6000 in 2017, which has weekly meetings at more than 20 shelters around New York City's five boroughs. The troop is distinguished from others in New York City's five boroughs by the "6" in its name. These other units are designated with 1000s, 2000s, 3000s, 4000s, and 5000s.

Burgess told the outlet in 2017, "Our mission is to instill girls with courage, confidence and character." Girl Scouts offers continuity and community for the girls in Troop 6000, which could be challenging to accomplish in other settings. New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks said, "Shelter used to be just three hots and a cot, but now that ... 70 percent of the shelter system is families, we have to help children not end up back in the shelter system when they become adults." Girl Scout Troop 6000 members are frequently heard singing, working on badges and forging connections of sisterhood, but their relationship extends beyond troop gatherings.

Sinai, a Girl Scout, said, "It kind of feels like you're not alone. It shows you that you're not the only one who has the same problem." During the COVID-19 pandemic, the troop switched to selling cookies online to collect money. In order to ensure that girls and their parents may always participate in Girl Scouting, even after they leave the shelter system and find a permanent home, Troop 6000 also introduced a "Transition Initiative" in 2018. The program offers links with other Girl Scout units, welcome home packages filled with necessities and needs-based financial help for up to three years.

Karina, another Girl Scout, expressed, "We're all Girl Scout sisters. We're all a pack. And if you see a girl with '6000' on, it just makes you like, we've gone through the same thing or you're still going through it." If you buy anything from Scout 6000, your contribution will be directly aiding these young girls going through a difficult time in their lives. This initiative provides them with all-around support and creates a safety net they can lean on in times of need.