By HANNA MORDOH
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
People in Central Indiana can now get Girl Scout cookies on demand. The organization is partnering with Grubhub and offering quick, contact-free delivery of Girl Scout cookies.
It’s a great option since no in-person sales are happening due to the pandemic. Local Girl Scout troops will track and fulfill the orders, plus Grubhub has waived all the fees, so the proceeds will still benefit local Girl Scout troops.
“I love cookie-selling,” said 16-year-old Gloria Sanchez. She has been earning Girl Scout patches and selling cookies in Carmel for half of her life.
“I have been part of my troop for eight years and I started the winter of first grade because I wanted to sell girl scout cookies,” Sanchez said. She’s extremely successful, selling a whopping 2,000 boxes last year.
“I have an Apple pencil and an iPad from selling girl scout cookies,” she said.
These days she uses that iPad a lot. Her troop now meets online, plus she’s helping mentor a Brownie group through Zoom.
“We are really pushing our digital platform called Digital Cookie,” Sanchez said. “And, it is a place where girls can set up a website where it has our cookie goal. It has what our troop might be doing with the money, it has all of the cookies listed and a brief description of the cookies and it is very nice.”
With no in-person sales this month, the Girl Scouts are getting creative. Sanchez even created a text-to-buy number for her sales. Anyone who texts “cookie” to 66866 is linked to her Digital Cookie website.
“Anyone who doesn’t have a hookup for Girl Scout cookies can text this number and they can buy cookies from me,” she said. “Having the cookie money funds what we do and what we use.”
Grubhub said there is free delivery through Feb. 14 with a minimum of a $15 purchase. On Friday, the on demand cookies are only offered in Indianapolis, Carmel and Lafayette, but more locations will be added soon.
In February, the Girl Scouts hope to sell some cookies in person again. However, Sanchez thinks sales will soar online. Whatever the selling strategy, the cookies help fund the most important part of the Girl Scout mission.
“My main takeaway from Girl Scouts is the friendships and the skills that I have built,” Sanchez said.