BY EMILY GRAHAM
ORWIGSBURG — Girl Scout Troop 31085 is seeking donations to provide cookies to the residents of Renaissance Senior Homes Pinebrook.
The troop hopes to “adopt” all 42 residents of the facility in West Brunswick Township and give them bundles of three boxes of cookies.
Troop leader Jessica Swick said she has seen other troops do Adopt a Grandparent donations, and she thought it would be a good time to give back to the community since nursing homes have been closed to visitors.
“When they were younger, we used to always go caroling at the nursing homes around Christmas,” Swick said. “This year, we made handmade Christmas cards for the residents at Pinebrook, so it just seemed like a natural fit.”
Donations can be made by contacting any troop member, paying $12 to @Jessica-Swick-3 through Venmo or ordering three boxes through the troop cookie website https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/troop31085-258. On the site, pick “have troop 31085 deliver,” enter address, put ‘Adopt A Grandparent’ in the C/O section, choose either option for order preferences and enter payment information.
Swick said the troop donates cookies to “local heroes” every year, such as firefighters, EMTs, teachers and school staff, and health care workers. Last year, troop members donated to staff at Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital.
“My troop is 10th and 11th graders at Blue Mountain High School, so they’ve been selling cookies for some time,” she said. “We’ve donated close to 700 boxes in the last eight years. This year, our ninth sale as a troop, we hope to cross the 800 boxes donated mark.”
Swick said the donations would not be possible without the support of the community.
“We get donations from community members, and it goes right back into the community,” she said.
As the troop leader, Swick said she had gotten to watch the girls grow up since they were in second or third grade.
“It’s been rewarding for me to watch the grow up and become these really great human beings that are so willing to serve their community,” Swick said.
