(800) 400-GIRL Troop 111 stacking the Food bank shelves at Desert Aids Project and delivering Icare...

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“My Girl Scout Troop 802 which is 4 ambassadors coordinated their annual

Thanksgiving to-go dinners for families in-need in Riverside which is a

program that prepares 500 dinners for the community. We coordinated the

collection from Girl Scouts (including 200 icares), St Thomas Catholic Church

Parishioners, Morongo Band of Indians (donated 5 turkeys), City of Riverside

(donated 500 reusable shopping bags), and local stores (donated many

$25 gift cards, water, etc. thanks to David Martinez that visited with a scout

20 stores asking for donations), over 35 turkeys (girl scout homes cooked

them) donations of all the trimmings (mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing,

cranberries, gravy, rolls, dessert, and all the supplies) and a personal notes or

coloring pictures to go with each dinner. The day of (Saturday, November 18)

we had about 150 volunteers some started cooking the trimmings or cutting

up the turkey at 6 am, others came at about 8/9 am to started assembling

the dinners which we did at 9 am and some folks stepped up and filled their

vehicles with as many dinners as they could and delivered the dinners to

seniors homes or to the senior centers around 10:00/10:30 am and some

even stayed to cleanup which we were so ahead of our self’s this year that we

were cleaning up the kitchen as we were assembly the dinners so we were all

done 11:00 am. Every year the generosity always amazes me! These girls and

volunteers ROCK!”

“Troop #1628 has it’s first “ICare” Boxes done and ready to be delivered. The

girls will take their individual boxes to:

Fire Dept., Police Station, Children’s

Hospital, Naval Medical Hospital, While

also mailing to a deployed Army friend.

The girls really enjoyed putting them

together.

We will also be delivering more “Icares”

as a troop outing!”

GSSGC I Care Program

It is the good deeds we

do, standing side by side,

making the world a better

place, that makes me

proud to be a Girl Scout.

Elizabeth Locke-Thomas

Chief of Mission Delivery

Stories of Giving

Troop 111 stacking the Food bank shelves at Desert Aids Project and delivering Icare cookies.

High Five a Hero Packing Party


Stats

GSSGC I Care ProgramOUR I CARE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Each year Girl Scouts of San

Gorgonio strives to expand our

I Care partnerships within our

communities. Some of our current

partners include:

• A Better Way

• Desert AIDS Project

• DOVES (Domestic Violence

Education & Service)

• High Desert Homeless

• Hospice of The Valley

• Inland Temporary Homes

• Loma Linda Ronald McDonald

• Martha’s Village

• Mary’s Table (of Mary’s

Mercy Center)

• Michelle’s Place (Women’s

Breast Cancer Research Center)

• Operation Provider

• Operation Gratitude

(Deployed Military)

• Operation Safe House

• Rescue Mission

• Ronald McDonald Houses/

Camps in Southern California

• Second Harvest

• Shelter from The Storm

• A Touch of Home

• USO Palm Springs

• Fire & Rescue Agencies

• Sherrif & Police Departments

• National Guard

In addition to these amazing

organizations, Girl Scouts of San

Gorgonio supports our girl’s family

members serving our Country

abroad by packing and sending care

packages directly to them.



GSSGC I Care Packing Parties

Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio have supported the military serving our

country abroad through the USO and Operation Gratitude for many

years. In 2012, we expanded our donations to include direct care

package mailings to family service members of our girls. Through

several I Care packing parties, Girl Scouts were able to show the

spirit of sisterhood and giving. In total, 950 volunteers were able to express

their thanks to our nation’s brave servicewomen and men and send them a taste of home. This hands-

on experience allowed many Girl Scouts to give back directly and connect with others that are making a difference for

this country. When asked at the packing event what our girls would say if they met a soldier in person, Sasha, 7, said, “I

would say we really appreciate you and we’re happy that you’re keeping us safe.”

“And - thank you - for saving our country and God bless,” added Maiah, 10, sealing her ICare Package with care.

Not long after shipping the packages, the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council were honored by the USS Milius and her

crew. An I Care shipment, lovingly packed with notes of thanks for the crewmen’s service written by hundreds of Girl

Scouts and San Gorgonio Council families, arrived for the sailors at a particularly challenging point in their extended

sea tour and the treats and notes immediately raised morale.

Kristin Freiberg and her daughter are members of the San Gorgonio Council and her husband, Lt. Freiberg, a chaplain

on the USS Milius, helped facilitate the delivery. Since the average age of a sailor is only 18 or 19 years old, and many

are deployed far from home with little or no contact from families, being uprooted is difficult and “ although people

show them support, they don’t always understand what that’s like,” said Kristin. Kristin elaborated, “When they get a

package and open it and know someone cares about them, it just means everything. To have that feeling of home.”

Some 300

I Care boxes were packed for Lt. Freiberg’s ship, but only he and the Captain know about them. The rest of the crew

were gratefully surprised to receive these tokens of love from the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council.

In Action



Operation GratitudeOver the years, and several Cookie Sales, Troop 504 sells their ICare

cookies, promoting our involvement and support of Operation Gratitude, just like almost every other troop. What’s unique is that several of our girls have personally had the gracious opportunity to participate in Operation Gratitude’s box packing events. When the girls talk about their experiences, their eyes light up and faces smile!Our first year had us welcoming our Veterans to the event, and spreading cheer on a cold and wet day. Our second & third years had us physically working at the facility, moving product, and prepping the boxes. Yes, it’s a long, hard, early day, but it’s worth it. To know that we can help others, especially our Veterans and reassure them that someone here is thinking of them, is rewarding. We view our involvement and support of Operation Gratitude as a special gift - we can provide encouragement to those who sacrifice so much, and let our military know we are grateful for all they do. Our ICare program allows us all the wonderful opportunity to do this, together.

A Story of Caring“My girls were honored yesterday with the opportunity to hand out ICare Cookies on March ARB. They were able to go into

the hanger where the deployed personnel were getting ready to take flight. The service gang were so excited to receive

cookies....some were trying to use their debit cards to pay. When they found out the cookies were for them as donation....it

made their day even sweeter!!” Daniele Bosso.

“Sister troop outing, Police station visit, delivering some icare to our favorite

officers.” -Troop 950



USO Palm Springs

The Palm Springs Center also serves as the base of operations for USO outreach programs throughout the area. The USO depends on the generosity of the local community to fund their work. Without the charitable contributions in the Coachella Valley area, we would not be able to offer the variety of programs that help so many service members and their loved ones. Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council yearly supports and contributes to the USO through donations and girlpower. Last year along, GSSGC donated approximately 25,000 boxes of cookies.

I have been working with the Marines at 29 Palms and the USO for several years, a couple of years ago I was asked to help getting cookies shipped overseas to our guys and gals that wouldn’t get them otherwise. In a team effort and a wonderful Mail Call program, we’ve made this a success. Last year we delivered 25,050, spreading them out 18,000 were sent overseas, the rest were delivered between the Palm Springs USO, Wounded Warrior Program, The Navy Hospital and The Single Marine Program. Amy Broich

I have been helping the USO & the Girl Scouts for two years now… I personally buy a bunch of cookies as my family loves the thin mints, peanut butter patties, and caramel delights. And I take my truck to load hundreds of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies & I drive them on base… My children also help and we have been glad to help in the success of Operation Cookie Monster for the Troops!!! It is an Honor and a priviledge to be able to help those Men & Women who risk their lives in any way my family can… And we ALWAYS WILL!!! Thank you Girl Scouts for creating this wonderful program and Thank you to ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN IN ALL MILITARY BRANCHES ACROSS THE NATION AND THOSE OVER-SEAS WHO CANNOT BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES!!! Ashley Gaona


First Responders

As clients of the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino our hearts were over-whelmingly broken on December 2, 2015. How do I explain the horrific events that took place to my Intellectually Delayed 17 year old child. The questions about why, and who would do this and who was injured and who was ok. These questions I couldn’t answer for myself let alone try-ing to explain it to her. Her first words to me that afternoon were questions regarding her and her sisters case work-ers. She wanted to know if they were ok and if she would see them again. We felt helpless. We as a family wanted to help the IRC, but knew we could not.

But then we thought there is something we could do if only to show we cared. Our Girl Scout Councils ICARE program touches so many lives, I reached out to council immediately to ask of we could assist with making the deliveries. I was so thankful to have this opportunity to deliver nuts and candies to our First Responders to thank them but also to allow Carson to move her con-cerns and fears into doing something. Carson was very worried about doing it right, and wanted to know what she should say or do. I told her to say that the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio wanted them to know how thank-ful we are for them and what they do for us.

So we walk into the first station and she announces to the first Firefighter that she saw that she is a client of IRC. That her and her sister’s case worker were there that day and that they (the Firefighters) helped to save them. She said Thank You and that she thought he was brave. The Firefighter got a huge grin and gave her the biggest hug. Carson also was smiling and happy as she was telling the firefighter all about girl scouting. When we left that first station I knew that doing the task of delivering these I-Cares did just as much for my family as it did for the firefighters. It is when the community comes together to help each other, and our first responders, that we all can heal. I am grateful that my child is learning the value of working hard to be able to give and help our local communities. The I-care Program has be-come our favorite part of the sale. It feels good to be able to see the I-Care work in our Community, even when tragedy strikes, knowing I-Care can make a difference even a small one.



I love going to the Ronald Mc Donald House to deliver the donated cookies and the nuts and candies. As a kid you never realize how many sick children that are out in just our community and it feels really good to be able to give a child’s family a treat that reminds them that there are people who care about them when they feel things are hopeless. Thank you for helping put smiles on the families who are going through a difficult time,

Wish we could have done more.Paula and Jessica


Thank you’sThank you for the cookie donations to Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy. The youth that we work with really enjoyed the Girl Scout Cookies. Most have never had them so this was great exposure to the Girl Scouts program for some inner city at risk youth. Terrance Stone, CEO Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy

During a recent College and Career Youth Conference, Girl Scouts cookies were one of the items given to each of the participants who completed all of the activities during the day. Many of the youth live in challenging situations including foster care, shelters and some are homeless. They were so appreciative of the gift of cookies and amazed that they were given a whole box of cookies! The youth were thanking and hugging staff for the gift and the smiles on their faces were priceless. Our Foster Youth Services Coordinating program is very appreciative of the donations we receive from the Girls Scouts and we hope that we will be included in future donations.

Best RegardsBernadette Pinchback

“We are so grateful to Girl Scouts for their generous donation of cookies to our youth . We feel the cookies in a way bring people together to assist us with our mission in serving children and youth in the foster care system, but also allowing community members to be a part of supporting children and youth in San Bernardino County. It is also so wonderful to see the youth we serve enjoy the cookies, knowing there are people out there who really care. Thank you Girl Scouts for your partnership and all that you do to support youth in our community.” CASA of San Bernardino County Staff Maggie Harris, M.A.Community Outreach Manager C.A.S.A. of San Bernardino County

(800) 400-GIRL Troop 111 stacking the Food bank shelves at Desert Aids Project and delivering Icare...

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