2/10/21: This Girl Scout Troop Is Made Up of Shelter Kids

Among New York City's 70,000 homeless people, two thirds of whom are there with families, there are 12,000 girls.

Troop 6000 exists especially for those girls. The Troop is made up of smaller groups that meet every week in 20 different homeless shelters across the city.

They do everything the way suburban troops do it: Parents and other volunteers lead the troops, the girls earn badges -- and they sell Girl Scout cookies.

Girl Scouting brings consistency and community for the girls and adults in these stressful circumstances. 

It's especially important now, with COVID19 disrupting school schedules and making it difficult or impossible for kids to keep up with learning.

Even children who live in stable households across the country don't always have internet access, and remote learning is tough socially as well as academically. Sometimes the kids lose all connection with local schools.  

Any connection with other kids and adults helps ease pandemic stress to families who need every boost they can get.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/girl-scout-troop-new-york-city-homeless-shelters/?fbclid=IwAR1Cl5wEUh3H9SYOAKLlcxRiFpzpNWBdkVN3CqTxfjOgdBOQ36GN75Wpt18