CAPE GIRARDEAU – “April Showers”, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s largest community service program, begins today when Girl Scouts, their troop leaders, families and friends help people in need by collecting personal care items throughout the region.
Over the last 24 years, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri has collected more than 25 million personal care items. They work with long-time collaborator Operation Food Search (OFS) to sort and distribute the items through OFS’s established network of community partners. With more than 900,000 people a year in Missouri living below the federal poverty line and unable to purchase personal care items with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri and the April Showers program help hundreds of agencies throughout eastern Missouri to support those in need in our communities.
There are three ways the community can participate:
- Door-to-Door Neighborhood Collection/Donation and Showering the Community:
- April 1-3: Girl Scouts will be going door-to-door, distributing sticky notes throughout the community with the request for personal care item donations.
- April 2: Girl Scouts and other volunteers will be at local storefronts encouraging customers to purchase personal care items to donate while they shop.
- April 9: Girls will return to community neighborhoods to collect donations. Donations should be placed in a bag or box outside on front doors before 9 am on Saturday, April 9, with the originally distributed sticky note attached and clearly marked for Girl Scouts.
- Online Registry Donation: Amazon & Target
- April 1-17: Community members will have the opportunity to donate directly through the Amazon Charity List or Target’s Charity Registry, which have been filled with items that will support the April Showers program. Links to these registries can be found at: girlscoutsem.org/aprilshowers.
- Donation Drop Off Stations:
- April 2-16: Schnucks will have bins marked for April Showers donation collection.
- April 1-16: Dierbergs Markets will have shopping carts marked for April Showers donation collection.
- April 4-15: Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Service Center will have blue barrels located in the back of the building Monday through Friday from 9 am-5 pm.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri is proud to partner with Operation Food Search, Schnucks and Dierbergs Markets on this exciting community program.
April Showers Donation Items Include:
- Deodorant
- Diapers/Baby Care
- Facial Tissue
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- First Aid Supplies
- Mouthwash
- Shampoo
- Soap
- Toilet Paper
- Toothpaste/Toothbrushes