Monadnock Community Hospital staff will enjoy eating delicious Girl Scout Cookies thanks to a donation by the Grand Monadnock Rotary. The donation was done through Girl Scouts’ Hometown Heroes program. From left are Martha Manley, first vice president of the council; Pegg Monahan of the Rotary Club; Laura Gingras of the hospital and Rotary Club, holding a case of cookies; and Tara Pacht, council president and board chair. (GSGWM photos)
Girl Scout Cookies bring joy to hospital staffers
Rotary donated $2,700 worth of sweet treats through Hometown Heroes program
Just imagine the smiles generated when $2,700 worth of Girl Scout Cookies showed up at Monadnock Community Hospital. That generous donation was made by the Grand Monadnock Rotary Club through the Hometown Heroes program run by Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains on March 7.
Not only does this donation spread joy, it supports all that the council does for Girl Scouts across New Hampshire and Vermont.
“This gift was a win-win for all involved,” said Kelli Brown, the director of fund development for the council.
Pegg Monahan and Laura Gingras are both members of the Grand Monadnock Rotary Club, and both have a passion for Girl Scouting. Gingras is also the vice president of philanthropy for the hospital.
“Until recently, I hadn’t given much thought of Girl Scouts in my development as a person,” she said. “As I reflect on it, it was my first formal exposure to goal setting and goal achievement. I still have my sash with completed badges! I had an amazing mother, and growing up under her watch was a blessing. But I’m going to credit Girl Scouts for having a hand in my career as a leader.”
Monahan said she learned a lot as a Girl Scout in her hometown of Lakeport, a part of Laconia. “My daughter, Ann Goodrich-Bazan, a local Winchester, NH, community leader, was a Girl Scout, and I was her cookie mother. The cookie mother experience was a rite of passage in motherhood.”
The hospital staff was thrilled with the donation. Donna Houghton, office assistant at the hospital, said “I think this is an awesome gesture! Girl Scout Cookies are the best. I was in the Girl Scouts from Brownies up to Cadettes. I think it is a very important group to belong to. The Rotary Club is very thoughtful for giving us this donation.”
“The community support throughout the pandemic has been incredible during this time,” said Alycia McDuff, a hospital manager. “We are so grateful for this donation from the Rotary Club. It is these meaningful gestures and kindness that make all the difference to our staff.” Medical assistant Jennifer Reichelt agreed. “We are so appreciative for the Grand Monadnock Rotary Club’s generosity for the donation of Girl Scout Cookies to all of the MCH employees! We also appreciate everything you do for our community, from our happy bellies to yours, thank you!”
At the presentation, Martha Manley of Peterborough, the council’s first vice president, and Tara Pacht of Vermont, the council’s board president and chair, thanked Rotary members for their generous donation and helped unload a van full of cookies. Hometown Heroes is a way for Girl Scout supporters to send a taste of home to U.S. servicemen and women, as well as thank veterans and front-line workers for all they do. Last year, more than 30,000 packages of Girl Scout Cookies were donated to Hometown Heroes by the public.
The Girl Scout Cookie program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world. All proceeds stay local, and participating Girl Scouts learn the skills of goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics while using the funds they earn to make the world a better place.
For more on Girl Scouts, see https://www.girlscoutsgwm.org.
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.
Grand Monadnock Rotary members present a donation of $2,700 symbolically to Tara Pacht and Martha Manley of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. That donation to the Girl Scouts’ Hometown Heroes program translated into a van full of cookies for hospital staff. (GSGWM photo)
So how many cookies does $2,700 amount to? A van full, or 540 packages of delicious treats. (GSGWM photo)