Junior Girl Scouts send a taste of home to troops

 

By Diane O’Malley

American soldiers stationed overseas will be able to enjoy the flavors of the classic Girl Scout cookies courtesy of the hard work of Murrieta Elementary School Junior Troop #1220 and the generosity of their cookie customers in “Operation Taste of Home.”

Led by Valerie Kreger and Cindi Rios, the 15 Junior Girl Scouts have collected more than 200 boxes of donated cookies to be shipped via Camp Pendleton’s USO office in April along with decorated notes and thank-you cards created by the 9- and 10-year-olds.

“Operation Taste of Home” is the Girl Scouts of America’s way of thanking the troops for their dedication and sacrifices as they are deployed away from their homes. Kreger learned about a New York City troop’s “operation” online and decided to make arrangements for the worthy cause. “We didn’t have a lot of time since it was already in the middle of the cookie season (which started in January), so we decided just to do our local troops.” In just the past 20 days of their “operation,” the girls have sold more than 4,000 boxes and prepared the donated boxes for shipment. Cookie sales ended on Easter Sunday.

Last year’s top salesgirl and Kreger’s 10-year-old daughter, Jessica, is confident she will reach the 1,000-box mark again. Last year, she won a weekend camping trip to the Rawhide Ranch Girl Scout Camp, where she was able to indulge in her love for the equestrian life.

Altogether, the girls have sponsored 16 cookie booths in front of Albertson’s and Ralph’s in Murrieta. That, according to Jessica, is the secret of her success: “Lots of hard work and going to all of the cookie booths.”

Among the boxes of hardy cookies that will remain unscathed in extreme weather include the shortbread, peanut butter sandwich, iced berry piñatas and other assorted flavored cookies.

“Operation Taste of Home” concluded on March 30.