BEDFORD – Girl Scout Cookies are so much more than a sweet treat. They’re also part of a lunch in a Feed My Children program. They’re a message of caring for a police or fire department. They’re a thank you to a hospital staff. They’re a taste of home to a serviceperson in the military. And the days are ticking down for Girl Scout Cookie lovers to buy their favorite treats – and for supporters of Girl Scouts to donate cookies through the council’s Gift of Caring program.

Last year’s cookie program provided 21,890 packages of cookies to the military and hometown heroes across New Hampshire and Vermont. Donations of cookies are down this season, so Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains has decided to extend the time its members can sell cookies. Those who wish to make lives brighter through a cookie donation are urged to act soon.

You can help by donating through Girl Scouts’ Gift of Caring program. It’s a “sweet” way to send a taste of home to servicemen and women serving abroad and to say thank you to our local veterans and essential workers. Anyone can make a tax-deductible donation of any amount and the council will deliver cookies to area hospitals, retirement and medical facilities, shelters, food banks, police and fire departments, and to the military.

You can make a Gift of Caring donation by going to https://bit.ly/4fquQeW.

“We appreciate every gift the community makes,” said Kristel Rigoli, vice president of retail for the council. “Through our Hometown Heroes Gift of Caring Program, we honor all who make our communities great.”

To donate or stock up on Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs and more, find a cookie booth through the Cookie Finder at www.girlscoutsgwm.org and click on Cookies. You can also text COOKIES to 59618 to find a booth nearby.

The proceeds from Girl Scout Cookies all stay local, benefiting the Girl Scout and troop directly. Cookies fund the programs offered by the council and allow Girl Scouts to cover their membership, attend summer camp, serve their community, and become young women of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.