NEW ORLEANS—With every season of Girl Scout cookies, another generation of girls learn to set goals, make a plan and manage money. As women, they’ll need these skills, whether their goal is to start a business, a family, or both. The mission of the annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale which begins locally on Jan. 15, is to help girls do great things.

“There are a lot of cookies that taste good. These are cookies that do good,” said Alisha Moore, product sales director at Girl Scouts Louisiana East. “When you buy Girl Scout cookies, girls decide where the money goes. Our girls have big hearts and big imaginations, and Girl Scout cookies help bring out the confidence in a girl to turn her dreams into reality.”

According to Moore, the Girl Scouts Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the country with over 200 million boxes sold annually nationwide. Last year, Girl Scouts in southeast Louisiana sold over 1 million boxes of cookies, with all proceeds remaining locally to fund both council and troop activities, maintain camp properties, fund recruitment and training of adult volunteers, and support council-wide initiatives.

“It’s no easy thing to ask a stranger to buy something. You have to speak up, look them in the eye and believe in what you’re doing. And even more importantly, believe in yourself,” said Moore. “Each customer’s purchase and interaction with girls as they hone their customer service and marketing skills and become more confident connecting to others is essential for a girl’s success.”

Girl Scouts across the council’s 23 parishes will begin taking cookie orders on Jan. 15. Cookies will be delivered beginning Feb. 26 and sold at various booth locations until March 14.

This year’s cookie program theme is Inspired by U, with activities designed for girls to discover what matters most to them, connect with people in their community, and use the power of Girl Scout Cookies to take action and make the world a better place. A popular community service project held during the cookie sale is Gift of Caring, a voluntary troop project in which girls encourage customers to buy cookies for donation to a non-profit organization selected by the troop.

In addition to Girl Scout troops supporting local non-profits and service organizations like fire and police departments, last year southeast Louisiana Girl Scouts shipped over 14,000 boxes of cookies to military troops serving overseas in the council’s Troops Helping Troops service project with plans to hold the project again this year.

This cookie season the Girl Scouts are offering one new cookie: Thank U Berry Munch, which features cranberries mixed with the sweetness of creamy white fudge chips. Other varieties include Thin Mints, Samoas, Trefoils, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Lemon Chalet Cremes and Dulce de Leche cookies. Cookies are $3.50 per box upon deliver, and are preservative-free, kosher, with zero trans fat per serving. Through participation in the Girl Scout Cookie program girls develop five essential skills including goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

The local council, Girl Scouts Louisiana East, serves girls 5 to 17 in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. To order cookies beginning January 15, call the Cookie Hotline at either Council office; in New Orleans at (504) 733-8220, Baton Rouge at (225) 927-8946, or visit the council website at www.gsle.org. An online Cookie Locator to find booth locations will be available on the website during the direct sale beginning February 26.