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NEW ORLEANS — Girl Scouts Louisiana East and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has kicked off the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season nationally, during a challenging time when many Girl Scouts are selling in creative, socially distant and contact-free ways to keep themselves and their customers safe.

Even in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, girls are adapting their sales methods to share the joy of Girl Scout Cookies through the largest girl-led entrepreneurship program—including taking contact-free pickup and delivery orders through a new national collaboration with Grubhub. Additionally, GSUSA is making online cookie ordering available nationwide on February 1 so consumers who don’t know a Girl Scout can still purchase cookies from a local troop for direct shipment to their homes or donation to local organizations.

In Southeast Louisiana, consumers can order Girl Scout Cookies for pickup or delivery on Grubhub.com or the Grubhub app. A hands-on experience in managing e-commerce, local Girl Scouts will track and fulfill orders, manage inventory, and more, all using Grubhub’s back-end technology. This method will be available in New Orleans and Baton Rouge on Thursday, Feb. 25 and ending Sunday, March 14. As always, the proceeds benefit the troop and council while providing another innovative way to safely run the cookie program virtually. GSUSA is grateful to Grubhub for waiving all fees for the organization to make this new delivery option feasible for sales without reducing proceeds to troops and GSLE.

This year, Girl Scouts Louisiana East will offer the new Toast-Yay!™ cookie, a French toast–inspired cookie dipped in delicious icing and full of flavor in every bite. Though social distancing measures may keep families and friends apart, cookie customers can share joy and stay connected this season through a gift-box option that ships directly to others via the Digital Cookie platform.

How to Safely Purchase Girl Scout Cookies This Season

· If you know a registered Girl Scout, reach out to her to find out how she’s selling cookies in ways that meet local and state safety protocols. Girls will be taking preorders starting January 15 by sharing personalized URLs with friends and family through email and social media.

· If you don’t know a Girl Scout, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org, text COOKIES to 59618 (message and data rates may apply. Text STOPGS for STOP, HELPGS for help), or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app for free on iOS or Android devices to find socially distant or contact-free cookie booths if they are available in your area.

· Visit www.grubhub.com/food/girl_scouts to order via contact-free delivery from Grubhub starting Thursday, Feb. 25 and ending Sunday, March 14. (Delivery will not be available on Mondays. Grubhub hours are posted on the GSLE website.)

· Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, enter your zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder at www.girlscoutcookies.org to purchase from a local Girl Scout troop online for shipment to your door or to donate cookies to first responders and local causes.