Thompson Nicola Girl Guides adapting cookie sales during pandemic

KAMLOOPS — You won’t see Girl Guides outside of storefronts or knocking on doors this year, but rest assured — the famous cookies are still available.

There are more than 350 guides throughout the Thompson Nicola area who have had to adapt during the pandemic. Jennifer Rennick Persello is the District Commissioner for the Mount Paul group. She says COVID-19 has forced their meetings to be virtual or outside and they can’t sell their trademark treats in the usual fashion.

“We can’t go door to door, we can’t stand in front of stores which are our most common ways of selling, so we’ve just had to do things differently,” explains Persello. “Right now, we’re doing a social media campaign trying to get the word out and to sell cookies any way we can. We have a couple of girls who actually created some really cool marketing videos and I’ve been posting those on social media.”

She says the guides have gotten extra creative this year and followed the example of another group in the Lower Mainland to introduce a new option for non-cookie lovers.

“We’re offering people to chance to donate a box of cookies to a senior in a care home. So if you don’t really want to buy cookies for yourself, you can still donate and we will supply those cookies to a senior in a care home.”

The initiative lines up well with the Girl Guides programs — which encourage girls to build life skills in outdoor adventure, financial literacy, mental health, advocacy and more.

Each cookie box costs $5, and to inquire about purchasing or making a donation, contact Persello directly on Facebook or email tnacookies@gmail.com.