Virtual Hugs

203rd single soldier receiving welcome home bag at barracks

Girl Scout Cookies

Operation:  Taste of Home 2010 

 

Patriotism packaged in Girl Scout Cookies!

 

 "Troops to Troops" Campaign

Scouts donate cookies for the troops, Duluth Service Unit

 

Girl Scout cookies are a great symbol of America.  In fact, Girl Scout Cookies continue to be one of the most requested items by Soldiers. 

Show your support for our Soldiers and your local Girl Scouts.  Buy an EXTRA box or two of Girl Scout Cookies.  Satisfy your own sweet tooth and send some love and a "Taste of Home" to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The Soldiers are in stressful situations, but when they receive a box of cookies from home, it sends a message to the troops that America is thinking of them and their safe return.


A Soldier serving in Iraq wrote to us:

The 988th Military Police Company Headquarters platoon out of Fort Benning, Georgia, would like to Thank You for the Girl Scout Cookies.  We have enjoyed getting a Taste of Home.  Our platoon enjoys the cookies on our down time after work or for a snack during our long days.  When we receive these gifts, we are grateful that people think about us and share with us the pleasures of the simple things, such as Girl Scout Cookies.  We appreciate your support.  It is a wonderful moral boost when you take care of us  The platoon has enjoyed the cookies and we all thank you for all your support.”

 

Cookies may be mailed to:

Hugs for Soldiers
P. O. Box 2887
Duluth, GA  30096 
 

OR

Drop-Off Dates

Wednesday, March 31 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 3 from 9:00 a.m.-noon.

Scout Hut (located behind the church)
Duluth First United Methodist Church
3208 Duluth Highway 120
Duluth, GA  30096
770-476-3776 Ext. 15
 
 

Newspaper Articles:

Soldiers overseas get taste of home

 

Gwinnett-Herald.com
by Tana Suggs

April 10, 2009

 

 

 

As the saying goes baseball, hot dogs and apple pie might be considered quintessential to America, but perhaps some might add another treat to that list – Girl Scout cookies.

And for many U. S. troops serving abroad, a box of Girl Scout cookies is a sweet reminder of home.

That’s why Scouts in the Duluth Service Unit of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta are doing their part to make sure U. S. soldiers stationed around the world get their share of the annual treat through “Operation: Taste of Home.”

They began sending cookies to the soldiers in 2004 through the Hugs for Soldiers Organization.

Angie Doerlich, founder of the organization said the cookies go to troops in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany and Kuwait.

“All the cookies donated today will be boxed up and sent to the soldiers to make sure all the troops get that little touch of home,” said Doerlich.

The soldiers who receive the cookies are part of the Adopt-A-Soldier Program.

Sandy Barber, a service unit director for the Duluth area said the girls are excited to participate in the program because they know they’re doing it for a good cause.

Catherine Dirksen and Jessie Lowe attend Parsons Elementary School and are both members of Troop 1112 taking part in “Operation: Taste of Home.”

Catherine said she is proud to be a part of the mission this year.

“Everyone deserves a treat sometimes, and they really deserve it because they are fighting for our country,” she said.

But selling cookies this year was no piece of cake.

“With the economy right now people don’t want to buy as many cookies as they used to,” she said.

Jessie said people set aside a certain amount to buy cookies and stayed within the budget.

Melissa Coleman attends Chattahoochee Elementary and is a member of Troop 1941. She said she likes the part after selling all the cookies when they receive their patches.

“This year is the super patch,” said Coleman.

She described it as a half diamond with an elephant.

“It’s really cool,” said Coleman.

For information about the Hugs for Soldiers organization, visit their Web site at www.hugsforsoldiers.org.
 

 


  
 

A COOKIE BREAK -- Service project sends boxes of treats to soldiers

Gwinnett Daily Post

by Jamie Ward, Staff Writer

April 11, 2009

DULUTH - Eight-year-old Melissa Coleman, a three-year Girl Scout member, said it best. When soldiers are off fighting in a war, she said, the last thing they have time to think about is cookies.

So with no cookie time for the fighting troops, another set of troops is making sure that when those soldiers do have a free minute the cookies will be there waiting for them.

That's the logic behind the service project program created by the nonprofit Hugs for Soldiers group. It's entitled "Operation: Taste of Home," and by partnering with the Duluth Service Unit of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, the program gets 550 girls from 57 different girl scout troops to box-up donated boxes of Girl Scout cookies to be sent to American soldiers serving overseas.

This year the effort consisted of collecting and packaging about 2,300 boxes of girl scout cookies.

According to troop leader Pamela Nye, who is also Coleman's mother, the Hugs for Soldiers program was a perfect fit for local girl scouts.

"It seems like participation in this program has been increasing the last few years and the national girl scout office encourages local service projects," Nye said. "And my girls have a stronger connection to it because we sent cookies to my brother in Iraq a few years ago when he was serving there."

Nye's other daughter Sarah, age 6, also participated in the effort.

According to the founder of Hugs for Soldiers, Angie Doerlich, the soldiers serving overseas are often in stressful situations. When they receive a box of cookies from home, it sends a message to the troops that America is thinking of them and their safe return.

Doerlich said the Hugs for Soldiers program is now in its sixth year of operation and she thanked the girl scouts for their continued participation. She also said Girl Scout cookies are consistently one of the most requested items by soldiers serving overseas.

That made sense to Coleman.

"I think everybody in the world likes Thin Mints," she said.

For more information or to donate to Hugs for Soldiers, visit www.hugsforsoldiers.org.

For more information on the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, visit www.girlscoutsgreateratlanta.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 


 

 

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