Local Girl Scouts deliver “cookie comfort”

Members of Greater Iowa Troop 21026 donated cookies and non-perishable foods to the Clear Lake/Ventura Food Pantry.  Pictured (L-R):  Andersyn Skellenger, Mackenzie Wolf, Sophia Korenberg, Finlee Jeppeson, Taelyn Lietz, Zoe Harms and Kylie Giesman.   Not pictured: Delilah Eilders, Kenna Eilders, Ali Korenberg, Lilly Olson, and Tynlee Merriss.  -Submitted photo

By Marianne Gasaway

You really don’t need another reason to love Girl Scout cookies, but here’s one.  

Members of Greater Iowa Troop 21026, from Clear Lake, have donated proceeds from their annual cookie sales to the Clear Lake / Ventura Food Pantry, as well as area first responders.

“Each year our troop participates in the annual fundraiser of selling Girl Scout Cookies to our family, friends and community. This fundraiser allows the girls to practice and improve their communication with others, work through rejection, manage money and inventory, and improve their confidence,” explained Troop Leader Amanda Harms.  

This year, the 12 members of the troop wanted to address the toll COVID-19 has taken on their community with cookie comfort.

“With the food bank seeing an increase in need for their services, our troop wanted to help. And thanks to the community, we were able to donate 132  packages to the food bank to benefit our local community members,” said Harms. 

Since the troop was formed six year ago, Scouts have enjoyed learning about different businesses and organizations in Clear Lake, including local emergency response providers and local entrepreneurs who have shared their path to ownership and their passion for their trade, said Harms, 

“The troop enjoys supporting our wonderful community by engaging in spring clean-up at Central Gardens, providing Christmas gifts to local residents and giving back by donating cookies and supplies to area organizations,” said their leader. In addition, many are active in sports, music, church, dance and tumbling. 

“They are multi-talented young leaders of tomorrow,” said Harms about the fourth to sixth grade girls who include Girl Scouting in their busy lives.  “Remember, when you purchase a box of Girl Scout cookies, you are not only buying a box of cookies, you are supporting our leaders of tomorrow, your local community and our local Girl Scout Camp Tanglefoot, which is an asset to Clear Lake.”