Cedar Rapids Girl Scouts host hygiene drive at cookie rally

Girl Scouts in Marion held a cookie rally over the weekend to build their entrepreneurial skills while giving back.

At the annual rally, Girl Scouts prepared for cookie season by setting their goals, building their sales pitches, counting change, designing their Digital Cookie sites — which allows the scout to customize the way they learn and earn, using technology in new and engaging ways, all while earning cool cookie business badges along the way — and testing all the cookie flavors.

While learning decision-making and money management through the cookie program, the financial literary campaign also teaches Girl Scouts about business ethics.

While building their cookie businesses, local Girl Scouts have decided to give back to the Cedar Rapids community by partnering with Waypoint Services, which provides services and resources for those experiencing homelessness, poverty, or violence or needing access to quality, affordable child care.

Over the last few weeks, Girl Scouts have been collecting hygiene items that Waypoint frequently utilizes, including diapers, toothbrushes, period products, lotion and deodorant. Some troops even used funds earned during the previous cookie season to purchase additional items to help people in need.

Girl Scouts work together to build a better world.  Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges — whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike, advocate for climate justice,  or make their first best friends.