Can I donate money to Troop 6000?
Yes! Make a gift through our online form and select "Troop 6000" in the Designation field.
Can I donate items to Troop 6000?
Though we are very grateful for people’s generosity, we do not have the capacity to sort, package, store, or deliver items to shelters. Thank you for understanding.
We have made exceptions only very occasionally for materials that fit within existing program needs. If you think your donation might be exceptional, please contact customercare@girlscoutsnyc.org.
If you are interested in making donations directly to shelters, here are some organizations you can contact:
Please note, we cannot give out the addresses of shelters due to confidentiality purposes.
Can I offer an experience to Troop 6000?
Yes! We have a Troop 6000 e-newsletter where we list such opportunities for troop leaders to choose from if and only if they are free-of-charge. Contact customercare@girlscoutsnyc.org with the details of your offer.
How many girls are experiencing homelessness in New York City?
There are approximately 60,000 people living in New York City shelters, 20,000 of whom are children under the age of 18, including approximately 12,000 girls.
Why do children become homeless?
Families with children make up the majority of New York City's homeless population at 68% of the 70,000 people living in shelters.
In contrast to traditional stereotypes of people experienceing homelessness, the reasons families enter shelter include rent is unaffordable compared to their income, there is a shortage of affordable housing compared to need, and women are escaping domestic violence.
What do Girl Scouts in Troop 6000 do?
Members of Troop 6000 attend weekly meetings, held in more than 20 shelters across all five boroughs of New York City, and do what all Girl Scouts do — build their network, be carefree, and gain confidence in new situations.
They earn badges on topics like STEM, financial literacy, environmental protection, civic engagement, and community service. Troop 6000 also goes on field trips, visits workplaces, participates in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, and even goes to Girl Scout Camp!
How can I help Troop 6000?
The best way to help Troop 6000 is to make a monetary gift or become a volunteer.
What is required of a troop leader?
Troop 6000 is led by parents and caregivers of Troop 6000 Girl Scouts paired with community volunteers. The time commitment for volunteer troop leaders is approximately three hours per week. Troop leaders lead meetings, liaise with shelter staff and parents, and take Girl Scouts on trips.
All Troop 6000 volunteers are required to complete a background check and training course. Through training, you will learn about NYC's shelter system, the support offered by our council, and how to lead troop meetings. You will also have the opportunity to hear from current volunteers about the rewards and challenges they face.
After completing these requirements, you will be matched with one of our locations. Your availability and distance will be taken into consideration.
If you’re interested, please fill out a Volunteer Application Form.
Can I do an article or video about Troop 6000?
For more information, please contact Linnea Mumma.
Can my company help?
Yes! What we need most is funding. If your company is interested in becoming a financial supporter of Troop 6000 or you’d like to offer a workplace visit opportunity, please contact customercare@girlscoutsnyc.org.
We also occasionally need spaces to hold events. If your office has a space that can hold 200+ people and you are interested in hosting a Troop 6000 event free-of-charge, contact customercare@girlscoutsnyc.org.
Can I or my Girl Scout troop meet members of Troop 6000?
To respect the confidentiality and privacy of Girl Scouts, their families, and other residents, visitors are not permitted to attend Troop 6000 meetings.
If you want to get to know members of Troop 6000, check out the following news items:
Can my Girl Scout troop write letters or send SWAPS to Troop 6000?
Your Girl Scout troop is welcome to write letters to members of Troop 6000. However, please note our council cannot facilitate return connections.
Please be mindful to use person-first language that views girls living in shelters as whole individuals and avoids language that others them. We will screen letters before sending them to girls in Troop 6000. Please see below for an example letter.
Dear Troop 6000,
We read about you in the news and wanted to reach out to say we are so excited to learn you are part of our Girl Scout sisterhood. You have sisters and supporters all over the world cheering you on, including us!
We hope these SWAPs remind you of us and the courage, confidence, and character we all strive for.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Troop ____
Other ideas include cards celebrating Troop 6000’s birthday (established February, 2017), Founder’s day, or promoting traditional Girl Scout activities like camping or
World Thinking Day.
Please mail letters and SWAPS to:
Girl Scouts of Greater New York
Attn: Troop 6000
40 Wall Street, Suite 708
New York, NY 10005
If your troop would like to donate money to Troop 6000, make a gift through our online form and select "Troop 6000" in the Designation field, or mail a check to the address above.
Can my Girl Scout Troop work with Troop 6000 to earn their Gold, Silver, or Bronze Awards?
To protect the privacy of Troop 6000 Girl Scouts, we do not allow visitors at troop meetings.
However, if you are inspired by the girls and volunteers in Troop 6000 and want to make changes in your community, there are many ways to create a take action project addressing structural issues that affect the communities who are a part of Troop 6000.
Projects addressing issues such as homelessness, affordable and safe housing, low wages, and domestic violence, all can help to positively impact members of our Girl Scout community and their families.
Contact your elected officials to advocate and change the root causes of girls having to live in the shelter system. If you are a NYC Girl Scout and you would like to discuss ways to incorporate these issues into a highest awards project, please contact Marlinda Cesar-Wiley.
What happens when girls in Troop 6000 leave the shelter?
The average length of stay for a family in a New York City shelter is 18 months.
To help facilitate a successful transition from shelter to permanent housing, it is essential girls stay connected to the community and opportunities introduced to them through Girl Scouting.
Therefore, on October 1, 2018 we launched our Troop 6000 Transition Initiative to ensure girls and their families continue to have access to Girl Scouting and the community, consistency, fun, and learning it provides. We support girls and their families by:
- Delivering a “Welcome Home Basket” with items like shampoo, soap, pillows, and blankets, to ease the transition to their new homes.
- Connecting families to a local troop where Girl Scouts can continue their experience.
- Continuing to provide need-based financial aid for up to three years.
- Continuing to invite Troop 6000 Girl Scouts to community events to stay connected to friends and the vibrant and supportive community they’ve built and nurtured.
Why do members of Troop 6000 sell Girl Scout Cookies?
All Girl Scout troops are “girl-led,” which means girls get to choose and direct their own activities. Selling cookies was not part of our original plan for Troop 6000, but the girls spoke up and said they didn’t want to miss out on this classic Girl Scout experience! The Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches valuable financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills that benefit all who participate.
Where does the money from their Girl Scout Cookie sales go?
100% of the proceeds from each box of cookies sold by members of Troop 6000 directly supports their troop experience and is used to pay for things like badge activity supplies, uniforms, field trips, and trips to Girl Scout Camp. Like all Girl Scouts, Troop 6000 members work together to set goals and to decide how their cookie profits are spent.
I feel bad for girls in Troop 6000.
That’s understandable. Shelters provide families with much needed emergency housing, but children are particularly distressed by the process of moving frequently, losing comfort items (stuffed animals, favorite clothes, pets, neighborhood connections), and being uprooted from their routines.
Losing your home is a traumatic event to be sure. Many families that enter the shelter system have moved two or three times before they end up in a shelter, which can negatively impact a young person’s sense of stability and community if they are uprooted from their school, neighborhood, and friends. Troop 6000 is built to provide consistency, stability, fun, and community through an uncertain and stressful time in a child’s life.
Besides becoming a Troop 6000 leader or donating, you can make change in your community by advocating for affordable housing, welcoming a shelter to your neighborhood, or contacting your local service provider to find out how to best help according to their needs.
