Local Girl Scout troop disbands over organization’s response to fundraiser for people in Gaza, West Bank
The Girl Scouts’ national office apologized
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Girl Scout Troop 149 is made up of eight 10-year-old girls whose families have immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan, India, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Somalia. As the 2024 cookie-selling season approached, the group and their parents decided they wanted to help children in Gaza and the West Bank instead of selling cookies.
Nawal Abuhamdeh is a parent of a Girl Scout and the troop leader.
“It seemed common sense not to sell cookies during the time of a crisis, a humanitarian crisis,” she said.
So, the troop decided to make and sell beaded bracelets, with the money going toward the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). Abuhamdeh said word spread fast about the fundraiser and online orders came in from as far away as California and New York. Abuhamdeh said the girls just wanted to help people in need but she was taken aback by the response to the fundraiser from the Girl Scouts.
“Saying things like Girl Scouts must remain neutral and deeming this activity as political and partisan,” she said.
She said the organization threatened to take legal action if she didn’t remove all Girl Scout branding from any information posted online about the bracelet sales.
“That was shocking. I was scared at first,” said Abuhamdeh.
First Alert 4 reached out to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri and spokesperson, Kelly Daleen, said the organization has policies that restrict fundraising only to Girl Scouting.
Daleen went on to say, “In extraordinary circumstances, these fundraising restrictions are lifted for a specific amount of time. Fundraising restrictions related to the Israel-Gaza war were lifted for a period from October 10, 2023, through January 10, 2024.”
She said the group’s bracelet fundraiser for Gaza children fell outside that window and didn’t comply with the group’s policies.
But Abuhamdeh said her correspondence with the Girl Scouts was disappointing.
“It was also frustrating that they didn’t respond to my email in a more compassionate and empathetic way,” she said.
Girl Scouts of the USA chief executive officer, Bonnie Barczykowski, said in a statement, “We are disappointed and disheartened by what recently transpired. We sincerely regret any hurt caused.”
Abuhamdeh said the troop decided to disband from the Girl Scouts, but will continue to meet regularly so that the girls can continue to learn new skills, build character and participate in community service.
Publicity surrounding the Girl Scouts’ response to the bracelet fundraiser has caused online orders to spike. Abuhamdeh said the troop has sold almost $4,000 worth of bracelets, with 750 online pre-orders since Saturday. She expects sales to exceed $10,000.
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