Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York

4 years, 34 selections, $3,849 in donations

Since June 2021, Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York has been selected to benefit from the Hannaford Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs 34 times at 20 different Hannaford locations. In total, the organization has received $3,849 to continue empowering young girls to reach their full potential and inspiring them to make a difference in their local communities.

Tell us about Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York.

Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York is a local Girl Scout council covering 15 counties throughout Northeastern New York, from Columbia Green up through the Adirondack Mountains to the Canadian border. We are one of 111 Girl Scout councils with about 8,000 members locally.

Girl Scouts, as an organization, was founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Lowe as a way to bring girls together and show them that they can be a force for good in communities across the country and the world. In total, we have nearly 2 million Girl Scout members in chapters across the country and the world.

Our mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. We do that through various activities designed to help girls between the ages of 5 and 18 discover their passions, connect with others, build a lifelong support network, and take action in their communities for issues that matter to them.

“My troop went to Hop on Home to help rabbits for our community service. We cleaned cages, fed bunnies, and learned a lot about them.”

 – Claire, Troop 3817

What services do you provide to the community?

Many people are familiar with Girl Scouts and know it is a local, volunteer-led, and community-focused group of girls that get together and plan adventures throughout the year.

They learn by doing. We encourage a cooperative learning style in which Girl Scouts earn badges and patches when they have new experiences or try new things. Another important element is the Girl Scout Cookie Program which generates revenue for local Girl Scout troops and our council. It’s the largest girl-run entrepreneurial program in the world.

“What I like about Girl Scouts is we get to sell cookies! It’s fun, and we get to do special things with the money we make. Last year, we even got a KOA gift card that our troop used to go camping.”

– Claire, Troop 3817

Another crucial part of our program is that we are girl-led. Every troop gets together and decides what its members want to do in the coming year. Some Girl Scout troops focus on outdoor recreation. Others may save up for big trips. For example, we had several troops travel to Japan last year! Many other troops focus on a particular line of badges each year.

As Girl Scouts age through the program, they move to new levels and reach the pinnacle of the experience: our Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards. Our highest award, the Gold award, requires Girl Scouts to find a community challenge they are passionate about, understand the root cause, and design a project that will make a difference in this area. Girl Scout members design these projects to be sustained long after the girl is no longer involved. It is a truly remarkable feat that shows the work our Girl Scouts do.

“A few months ago, my troop helped the Rensselaer Street Soldiers. We got to make bags full of necessities and help a bunch of people. It was really fun!”

–           Savannah, Troop 1450

We also have several council-run programs that girls get to participate in. In addition to this series of programs, we run three summer camp programs throughout our footprint, which is your typical summer camp experience that you might already know and love. Our camps have some of the coolest themes for girls to participate in. As the experts in girls, we really excel in building programs.

“My troop goes to Water Safari every summer and camps at Old Forge. When we camp, sometimes we do a scavenger hunt or visit the beach. This summer, we are going to Connecticut!”

 – Claire, Troop 3817

Our Girl Scout council has delegates at the local level that represent the members. Our council has five national delegates representing our over 8,000 members at the national governance meeting called the National Council Session and Convention. It is a very special role to be elected by the members. We have young girls and adults who act as our delegates. The 58th National Council session will be held in Washington, D.C., at the 250th anniversary of our country, which will be quite the event.

“I’m really excited for the upcoming National Convention because I want to be a Girl Scout delegate one day.”

–           Savannah, Troop 1450

How has Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York used the donations from the Hannaford Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs to further its mission?

The program has been great, and I hope the message is getting out through our members to make sure we thank the stores for choosing Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York. Seeing our sign at Hannaford not only reminds the public to sign up for Girl Scouts but also provides financial assistance for girls who could not otherwise afford to participate in Girl Scouts. The Hannaford Community Bag Program helps to cover memberships or scholarships to attend programs or camps. These funds make sure all girls have the opportunity to experience what Girl Scouts can do.

Tell us a story about a program, service, or initiative that the Hannaford Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs have supported.

More than 65% of our campers come from lower-income households. Watching these girls come to camp is one of my favorite transformations. If you have ever joined a new Girl Scout troop or gone to camp for the first time, you know that Monday drop-off can be pretty nerve-racking. Maybe you don’t know anyone or haven’t been to camp before. You likely don’t know who your counselor is going to be. With so much unknown, the Monday morning flag ceremony can make many Girl Scouts nervous.

Yet, by the time Wednesday comes around, they have forgotten all about that Monday nervousness. They have new friends and are fully engaged in all of the camp activities. In other words, they are living their best life. By Friday, they don’t even want to go home! Many girls meet some of their best friends for life at camp. They have made memories that will last a lifetime and learned new.

“There are a lot of opportunities I have gotten from being a Girl Scout. Two years ago, I went to a Hidden Lake overnight camp. My friends and I got to do a ropes course and a lot of other fun activities… Last year, my troop used the money that we earned for cookies and went to Rocking Horse Ranch. It was really fun. We even got to ride horses! Since it was Girl Scout Week, we also got to meet a lot of other troops!”

–           Savannah, Troop 1450

Have you noticed any changes in community awareness or support since becoming involved in the Hannaford Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs?

These programs do two things. First, it reminds people that our organization still exists and that they should get involved in it. It also helps our volunteers feel connected to something bigger than just their troop. When you walk into the store and see Girl Scouts being promoted when you weren’t expecting to see it, it reminds all volunteers and members that they are a part of this great movement of strong women and girls.

Since we started participating in these programs in June 2021, I have noticed that the support has spread to a number of stores. I think this has to do with our volunteers and members seeing it in one store and requesting it in others. This growth also shows me that the program is spreading the word and making an impact. People are noticing and supporting us.

What advice would you give to other nonprofits participating in the Hannaford Helps Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs?

My best advice is to treat this like the partnership that it is. It is so much more than a fundraiser. Earning $3,800 is a great source of support for our financial assistance fund, and we treasure the partnership so much.

The community connection people feel when they see their favorite charity supported at their local store is really important. It brings together two worlds and makes people feel like they belong to something bigger. Belonging is something people crave right now, and I think it has a lot of value in itself.