ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Since 1998, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri girls, troops and families have worked together to collect personal care items for those in need in our communities. This spring, more than 7,300 girls participated in April Showers, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s largest community service program, to collect more than 1.4 million donations. These items were distributed to more than 230 agencies throughout eastern Missouri.
Girl Scouts across eastern Missouri collected personal care items by canvassing neighborhoods and sharing an online registry link with their families and friends to collect shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, disposable diapers and other items. Girl Scouts and volunteers were also outside local participating storefronts to encourage customers to purchase personal care items to donate while they shop. In partnership with Operation Food Search, these items were distributed to agencies across eastern Missouri. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri also partnered with Schnucks and Dierbergs Markets to have drop-off points at their stores.
“We are grateful to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri for this important and long-standing partnership, which puts critical personal care items into the hands of those who need them most,” said Kristen Wild, President & CEO, Operation Food Search.
Girl Scouts is synonymous with giving back and for the past century, eastern Missouri Girl Scouts have been making a positive difference through girl-led initiatives, including April Showers. As many April Showers recipients live at or below the federal poverty level, hundreds of thousands of households count on these life-changing donations. Over the last 25 years, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri have collected more than 27 million personal care items.
“I think it important to participate in April Showers because it’s a way to give to people who are having a hard time getting what they need,” said Dana Creswell, Girl Scout Ambassador. “Everyone deserves the basic things in life to care for themselves, and we as Girl Scouts have the power to bring that to people.