Girl Scouts honor trio for making cookie season successful
BEDFORD, NH – It takes the full effort of every volunteer to make the Girl Scout Cookie season run smoothly, and three of those outstanding volunteers are Colleen Howard of Farmington, and Jennifer Moreau and Maura Moreno-White, both from Somersworth. Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the council serving girls across New Hampshire and Vermont, has named the pair its Volunteer of the Month for March in recognition of their efforts.
All are part of the council’s service unit encompassing Somersworth, Farmington, Rochester, Middleton, Milton, and Rollinsford. Howard, 25, got involved with Girl Scouts when her daughter joined as a Daisy in kindergarten, and is now a community product sale coordinator – in other words, a cookie expert. She is also a volunteer support coordinator for the council, helping troop leaders be successful as their take their girls through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. She knows the organization inside out, having been a Girl Scout from Daisy through Ambassador levels – kindergarten through 12th grade. Moreno-White is a troop leader for Troop 10904, with seven Cadettes in grades 6-8, and Troop 60904, with five Daisies in kindergarten and first grade. She has helped the council with a family recruitment campaign, and her daughters were involved in a council video for WMUR-TV that appeared on its Cook’s Corner segment.
“I love working with the girls,” said Moreno-White. “We get to teach them great skills. It also allows me to be connected to my community and make a difference in my own way that involves my children. I am truly grateful for the program and the opportunities.”
Moreau, 44, leads Girl Scout Troop 10904, a Cadette troop of girls in grades 6-8. She also helps with the associated Daisy Troop 60904 of girls in kindergarten and first grade. She keeps her Girl Scouts up to date with a Facebook page, created an event for cookie pick-up day, scheduled cookie booths under COVID guidelines, and more.
“It’s been great to see them working together to move the cookie sale program forward,” said Amanda Powell, volunteer support specialists at the council. “Colleen has really been rocking it in her service unit this year. They were also able to complete their annual Savers clothing drive this year in a really creative, socially distanced way, using coordinated drop-off points and multiple drivers. It was super impressive to see them pull it off!”
Moreau said they keep their Girl Scouts busy with a variety of activities.
“We have been doing cooking challenges like on Food Network! They love that. We just did a outdoor day where the Cadettes taught the Daisies how to make soda and Mentos explosions! We tie dyed masks. We try to do real life experiences.” She added that they are working on their Silver Award, “learning about homeless kids and housing insecurities and life at the animal shelter,” a continuation of their Bronze Award project, which was earned at the animal shelter.
“I love their positive attitudes – their can-do approach and focus on how to make the best experience for the girls possible!” said Robin Boyd, manager of product sales for the council.
Howard is the organizer, happy to make sure everyone understands the Girl Scouts’ systems for recording orders and setting up cookie booths. Moreau loves to guide news leaders, keeping them informed.
“For me, Girl Scouts is something I could do with my daughter,” said Moreau. “We’ve done a lot of fun stuff together. It’s helped her grow and mature.”
Moreau said they’ve enjoyed a trip to Washington, D.C., done museum overnights, and visited New York City prior to the pandemic. The future holds the promise of a possible Disney cruise or Hawaii trip for her Girl Scouts, but right now they are doing community service, having already earned one of Girl Scouting’s highest honors, the Bronze Award, for their work with an animal shelter.
“It’s a way to teach them to be good humans,” she said.
Howard agreed, and said “When I was a Girl Scout myself, it taught me how to be independent, be strong, strong minded, and strong willed. It has given me the chance to meet people in my community, the passion to bring what I had as a Girl Scout to this next generation – camporees, travel, and all of that.”
Both said they have made good friends through Girl Scouting, both within Girl Scouts and in the community.
“It's easy to achieve big goals when we have a great team,” said Moreau.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is grateful to Howard, Moreau, and Moreno-White for all they’ve done to make the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season a success, and is proud to name them the Volunteer of the Month for March.
You can support girls through the Girl Scout Cookie program through March 22. Whether you buy cookies for yourself or donate them to the military and hometown heroes through our Gift of Caring program, you make it possible for girls to find their voice and place in the world, gaining life skills, exploring STEM fields, enjoying the outdoors, and becoming entrepreneurs.
Find cookies through your local Girl Scout, or visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.
About Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains: Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is recognized throughout New Hampshire and Vermont as a leading expert on girls. Our Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, with proven results. It is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that helps girls take the lead—in their own lives and in the world. Through our exciting and challenging programs, Girl Scouts not only participate but also take the lead in a range of activities—from kayaking, archery, and camping, to coding, robotics, financial literacy training, and beyond! Serving more than 10,000 girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org.
