Kirkwood Girl Scouts Provide Soldiers With a Taste of Home

Submitted by Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.

Girl Scout Troop 485, based in Kirkwood, Missouri, hopes this is the year they break 10,000.

The troop's goal is to deliver 10,000 cookies to Operation Homefront Missouri and soldiers stationed overseas.

They moved almost 400 cookies in 2006.  In 2008, six other troops joined them and they transported more than 700 cookies. By 2010, 44 troops joined the effort and they shipped more than 1,400 cookies. Last year, 148 troops participated and they shipped 7,368 cookies.

"It started in 2005 when the girls were in kindergarten," said Lou Kramme, 485's Troop Leader. "Daisies then were not allowed to handle money. They participated in April Showers, a Girl Scouts personal care drive, and parties for the 101st Airborne. The younger girls drew pictures and the older ones wrote letters to the soldiers.

"When these soldiers returned home, my troop was invited to meet them," she continued. "They are the only troop in the whole country to wear a military patch on the front of their sashes, per President George W. Bush."

The next year, the troop, which is comprised of Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors, delivered Girl Scout Cookies to Scott Air Force Base, near O'Fallon, Illinois, where they were shipped overseas on a direct military flight. After the initial shipment of cookies, one of the base chaplains suggested she contact Jon Jerome, chapter president of Operation Homefront Missouri and southern Illinois, to help them.

"The Girl Scouts have been unbelievable, outstanding and outrageous," Jerome said. "I hope they continue to have the ability to do this; it's such a morale boost."

Jerome said the cookies are part of overseas deployment care packages and they are part of the local unit parties families have that are independent of Scott Air Force Base.

As with the 101st Airborne, the older girls in the troop write letters while the younger ones draw pictures to send to the soldiers. Soldiers can get all of the cookie varieties available to civilians and each box comes with a thank you/Christmas card, letter or picture from the girls.

"At one point this year, I had 480 cases of cookies in our house," recalled Kramme.  "This is something the girls have enjoyed doing and continue to enjoy doing."

For 2013, the troop continues to spread the word about the Operation Homefront Cookie Drive. They created an information flyer and are contacting troops that cooperated with them in past years to see if those troops wish to participate again.

Kramme said soldiers who have returned from tours of duty overseas have contacted her and asked to attend troop meetings, where they thank the girls for their efforts.

"I'm very proud of my girls," Kramme said. "They know I will back them 100 percent on things I feel they are right about. Operation Homefront is wonderful. A couple of the girls have corresponded with soldiers since the girls were in first or second grade. "

Kramme said the core part of her troop who started the program are now eighth-grade students. They will become Seniors in 2013-2014 but not before handing the program down to Kramme's younger daughter's troop to ensure it continues.

Operation Homefront is a non-profit group that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors through generous, widespread public support and a collaborative team of exceptional staff and volunteers. It aspires to become the provider of choice for emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors.

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