5 Questions About the Girl Scouts Trick or Treating For Hunger

5 Questions About the Girls Scouts of Ocean Bay's Hunger Relief Program

Kayla Nygren answers the questions.

Where did the idea for trick or treating for food come from?

I got the idea for the trick or treat event from another Girl Scout service unit in Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass (our council). We have a message board for all the service unit coordinators; it's a great opportunity for us to share ideas, like this one.

What kind of food will you collect? Non-perishables? Are some foods more in demand?

We are collecting all non-perishables. Some common items they always need are cereal, soup, sauce, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, condiments, peanut butter and jelly. 

Will the girls knock on doors just like trick or treat? What time will they be going door to door?

Yes, the girls will go around town trick or treating door-to-door just like on Halloween, costumes and all. The times vary. Over the weekend, girls and leaders put door-hangers on the doors of the houses they will be visiting next weekend. Those door hangers should specify a time for their trick-or-treat visit. At 5 pm, girls from Swampscott and Nahant will come together in the Swampscott High School parking lot. We'll set up tables to unload and sort the food, as well as have some special fall treats for the girls to enjoy. If there are people in town who would like to donate non-perishables that did not get trick or treaters, then they can drop non-perishables to us at SHS between 5-5:30pm. 

How much food do you hope to collect?

Well, we made up 250 door hangers to be distributed in Swampscott and Nahant. Even if each person donates one item, that's a great turn out. Some troops also made up additional door hangers because they wanted to conquer larger areas, so that's an even more awesome prospect.

Tell me a little about the Girl Scouts of Ocean Bay. How many members? They come from which towns?

The Girl Scouts of Ocean Bay encompasses all girls in kindergarden through twelfth grade in Swampscott and Nahant. We have about one-hundred and fifty members between the towns, including all of our awesome, dedicated adult volunteers. We are proud to have girls at every level in our service unit, including a few high school seniors working on their Gold Awards this year. As a service unit, we host events for our girls multiple times a year, including a square dance in November, a holiday cookie exchange to kick off our cookie selling season in December, a talent show - Ocean Bay's Got Talent!, bowling on Superbowl Sunday, and a tea party to celebrate Girl Scout week in March. 

On Saturday, Oct. 27, the Girl Scouts of Ocean Bay will hold their 1st annual Trick or Treat so Others can Eat! Girls will be trick or treating throughout Swampscott and Nahant to collect donations for our local food pantry at St. John's Church. We'll meet in the Swampscott High School parking lot at 5pm to sort donations. There are not enough girls to cover the whole town, so if there are residents who would like to make a food donation but do not get a visit from a Girl Scout on Saturday, they can drop their donations to us at SHS between 5-5:30pm. 

For questions about the Girl Scout program, wants to join, etc.  oceanbaygs12@gmail.com