Dear Friends of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey:
2020 presented Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey (GSNNJ) with a set of challenges that we could not anticipate as the world was rocked by a global pandemic. The widespread cancellation of in-person activities caused by the pandemic’s unprecedented quarantine and subsequent social distancing requirements uprooted life as we all knew it. With home, school, and work practices changing rapidly, and our members and staff being affected by illness and emotional stress, GSNNJ strived to pivot to new ways of delivering programming and supporting our girls, volunteers, and families.
Prior to March 16, 2020, GSNNJ was on track to meet our membership and revenue goals. COVID-19 impacted that trajectory and we had to strategize ways we could best serve our girls and volunteers during these difficult times.
While girl membership decreased by more than eight percent, GSNNJ was able to maintain a strong presence in the community, and the spirit and mission of the Girl Scouts remained resilient as our members found creative and meaningful ways to help and support others. Our Girl Scouts sewed masks, collected supplies for healthcare heroes, and donated cases of Girl Scout cookies to frontline workers through our Cookies from Home program. In addition, girls, volunteers, and troops sent Trefoil Thoughts—notes of gratitude and encouragement—to essential workers, first responders, healthcare heroes, and nursing homes. In true Girl Scout spirit, our girls proved to be sources of positivity and hope for the community.
To stay connected with our members, we turned to increasing our use of technology and launched Girl Scouts at Home—taking our program activities online and enabling Girl Scouts to work on badges remotely and stay connected across the council and the country. Troop meetings, program activities, summer camp, volunteer leadership summits, and recruitments also went virtual. We reimagined opportunities to reach girls with Mobile GSLE programming, provided guidelines for safe gatherings, and pushed forward to best serve our members and reach potential new members.
Our Girl Scouts and volunteers have been awe-inspiring in their support and contributions throughout the pandemic. As we look to a new year, we remain focused on growing our membership in grades K-5, placing emphasis on populations that are under-represented, strengthening our volunteer support, and continuing to serve middle and high school girls with targeted program activities.
We remain strongly committed to providing our members with opportunities to discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to become leaders who make the world a better place. Thank you for your partnership and all you do for Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey.
Sincerely,
Bette M. Simmons, Ed.D. Chair, Board of Directors
Betty A. Garger President and CEO
Our Board of Directors
