Metro Ministries Girl Scout troop empowers girls experiencing homelessness

TAMPA, Fla. - Metro Ministries in Tampa has a Girl Scout Troop for girls experiencing homelessness and those at risk.

The backstory:

The troop was revived after COVID by two women who work at the shelter.

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These women know that being a girl scout can be transformative; it allows girls to learn new skills and become more confident in themselves.

Nothing makes that more obvious than the annual girl scout cookie sale.

That is especially true for the Girl Scout Troop living at Metro Ministries as they navigate homelessness while growing up.

Girl Scout Troop 32547 held a cookie booth at Metro Ministries on Friday.

Big picture view:

Amy Green, one of the troop leaders, said the cookie sale is an important way to teach the girls about responsibility.

"I love watching them, specifically at our cookie booths, just take on their own kind of like power and authority and confidence, right? So they'll walk up to people that maybe they were shy before, I've seen them come out of their shells," Green said.

The girls agree.

"I like talking to people and I like telling them about how the cookies taste, Amaryllis Parra, a Junior Girl Scout in Troop 32547, said. "I like Girl Scouts so I can talk to people and talk to my friends that are in Girl Scouts."

Every girl in Troop 32547 is experiencing homelessness or is at risk.

"There's a lot of things that are difficult in their lives that they can't control," Green said. "But at Girl Scouts, they just get to be kids."

The troop gets to keep the profits from the sale.

"We tell them how it went, tell them the number that we raised, and then they get to vote on the activities that we do as a troop with that money," Green said.

This allows them to have a little control over their lives in a time where so much is out of their hands.

What they're saying:

"They get to decide the budget for where their money gets to be spent," Christina Mitchell, the chief operating officer of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, said. "They've planned big adventures that we're excited to let them have those opportunities."

"We had a sleepover here at Metro in our chapel, and we were able, without cookie money, they could buy sleeping bags and flashlights, and just all those things that you need for a sleepover," Green said.

This is opening doors for the girls.

"The big thing about Girl Scouts is discovering what you're interested in," Mitchell said.

"We're hopeful that this next year we can maybe take a camping trip, go to some state parks," Green said.

What you can do:

If you are interested in supporting this special Girl Scout troop, you can order cookies online.

Their goal is to sell 1,000 boxes of cookies.

There is also an option to donate cookies to local heroes.

Purchasing from this troop will help the girls afford camping gear and other supplies.

Girl Scouts of West Central Florida is running a promotion from Feb. 27 through March 2, where shipping is a flat fee of $6.