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Almost 10 years ago, Giselle Burgess and her five children found themselves entering the New York City shelter system. Her landlord had sold her building to make way for condos, and she wasn't able to rely on family for support. But, like a third of New Yorkers facing homelessness, she too had a job, working as a community development specialist for Girl Scouts of Greater New York. However, her circumstances combined to lead to a simple idea: starting a Girl Scout troop for girls in the shelter system. And so what started as an initial meetup of seven girls in a Queens shelter led to a movement across the country.
Officially started in 2017, Troop 6000 serves girls in New York City who are experiencing homelessness and living in temporary shelters. Today, the troop has served in 20 different shelters across all five boroughs, reaching thousands of girls in the process. Similar groups have sprouted up around the country, welcoming girls of all backgrounds.
But working with kids who are handling the stressors of homelessness creates its own challenges. Marissa Straneri, director of social work services, and her team of interns engage with Troop 6000 every week to provide essential support.
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“We want to be intentional in Girl Scouting about how we as adults show up for them,” she said, as her staff trains troop leaders about trauma-informed care and driving home the importance of structure. In 2023, Stranieri took her work even further as Troop 6000 officially incorporated immigrant families and asylum seekers who arrived in New York into the fold. But that too came with its own set of obstacles.
“We started a program in one of those shelters, and it was different,” says Stranieri. “They had different language needs, some of them hadn't been in school for some time because of how they came to the United States and some of them never imagined themselves being in New York, [which] can be very, very scary."
To adapt, Stranieri and her team expanded the Girl Scout curriculum, translating all materials into multiple languages and hiring bilingual staff. They also built city-specific programming, including how to find green spaces in the city and—perhaps one of the most important lessons—how to ride the subway.
But, in many ways, Troop 6000 operates like any other Girl Scout group. On a weekly basis, Scouts volunteer in their local communities, learn about entrepreneurship and leadership and, of course, earn badges. Another similarity? Cookie sales.
Participating in the sweetest time of the year, the members of Troop 6000 also sell classic Girl Scout cookies—Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, you name it. The longstanding program, however, is more than just supplying our cookie fix, as it teaches budding leaders about entrepreneurship.
"They learn tons of skills about business—budgeting, goal setting, practicing their times tables," she says. But for Stranieri, she's been most impressed by the social skills that develop. "I've seen Girl Scouts at so many varying ages, learn the concept of what an elevator pitch is—say what you're passionate about, why it's important to you and try to get somebody else to understand why."
Looking to support these girls in their journey? You can help by purchasing cookies from Troop 6000 at their in-person pop-up at Time Out Market New York, Union Square. You have two chances to catch them: Thursday, March 19, from 4pm to 6pm, and Saturday, March 21, from 11am to 2pm. Every box sold will directly benefit the group, including waiving membership fees, uniforms and sponsoring trips.
Can’t make it? You can always check the Girl Scouts’ official cookie tracker, where you can type in your zip code to find an interactive map of pop-ups, or order online directly from the troop. So do good and support your local troop this Girl Scout season.