COVID-19 Information

Working Together to Keep Our Girl Scout Community Safe!

Important Updates:

Click here for the 12/11/20 Update

The COVID-19 protocols at Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast are changing rapidly in response to available information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), county guidelines and other important sources. As Girl Scouts, we have an obligation to our community to do all that we can to limit the spread of coronavirus and keep our girls safe. See how we are responding to these changing circumstances below.

Virtual Programming

Girl Scouts is here to stay! You can find at-home programming updates here.

The Cookie Program

As you know, the start of this year’s cookie program coincides with the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic in our council’s footprint. For the better part of a year, our team at Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast has been preparing for what this program might look like in such a unique time. Outlined below we have crafted a series of guidelines for this year’s cookie program within each stage of the pandemic to ensure our girls have the fullest experience possible, while keeping the health and safety of girls, volunteers, staff, and the community our top priority.

In-person Activities

Door-to-Door Contactless Marketing

Doorhangers, flyers, business cards, signs with girls’ Digital Cookie information may be distributed in a contactless manner to residences and businesses.
Yard signs with girls’ Digital Cookie information encouraged.

Door-to-Door Transacting

Not allowed in Purple risk level.
Knocking on doors to transact with customers is allowed in Red, Orange and Yellow risk levels with appropriate safety precautions in place.

Accepting Electronic Payments

We recommend all customer purchases be transacted through girls' Digital Cookie sites.
When not possible to accept payment through girls’ Digital Cookie site, we encourage using credit card readers or Cheddar Up POS platform to reduce transmission touchpoints.
Should a girl and adult choose to accept cash or check as payment tender, in rare circumstances, we recommend appropriate safety precautions be taken. Adults may deposit these physical payments into their personal account, then electronically transfer the funds to their troop (via Paypal/Venmo/Zelle) in order to reduce touchpoints. This option is at troop discretion.

Deliveries and Product Distribution

Volunteers will provide troops with guidance for distribution of products on delivery day. Plan for extra time at troop delivery in the event only one troop may be outside their vehicle at a time.
Contactless porch product deliveries should be planned and shared with customers in advance of the drop.

Drive-Through Booths

Allowed in Purple , Red , Orange , and Yellow risk levels. (Drive-thru booths are preferred)
- Follow all GSCCC safety protocols.
- Follow additional site and/or business restrictions.
- All GSCCC distanced booth safety protocols regarding number of adults and girls remain in place.
- All appropriate COVID-19 precautions in place.
- Distanced booth submission, approval, and management processes are done at the SU and council levels only.
- Distanced booths must be outdoors.
- Distanced booths must be approved by GSCCC for insurance tracking purposes and to be included in the Girl Scout Cookie Finder.

Lemonade Stands

Not allowed in Purple risk level.
In Purple, Red, Orange, and Yellow risk levels, may be at the residence of someone the girl knows.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
We all need to be accountable and responsible to the girls, to each other and to the public. If we all follow these guidelines, each person pursues only those activities they feel comfortable with, and we all remain diligent about personal and public safety, our girls will have a fun and successful 2021 Cookie Season!

Non-compliance with State of California, County-specific, and GSCCC COVID guidance may result in removal from the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program.
- Examples of non-compliance: hosting booths or door-to-door transactions within unauthorized tiers, not wearing masks, not taking social distancing precautions, too many people at a distanced booth, etc.

Please note: Even with health and safety precautions, there are no guarantees that anyone can prevent exposure to COVID-19. There is an inherent risk of exposure and illness in participating in any in-person activity.