Cookies for All: St. Ansgar Girl Scouts deliver cookies to Comforcare residents, paid for by facility staff
Published 6:27 pm Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Girl Scout cookies were hauled from room to room by Liv Nelson who was delivering them, along with her sister Kyla and mom Sarah, to residents of comforcare Monday morning. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Sisters Liv, right, and Kyla peek in a rom as they deliver cookies to Comforcare Monday morning. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Sarah Nelson, right, and her daughters Kyla, center, and Liv head to the next room on the list to deliver Girl Scout cookies Monday morning at Comforcare in Austin. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Sisters Liv and Kyla Nelson and their mom Kayla visit Richard Everson at Comforcare Monday morning to deliver Girl Scout cookies. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Comforcare resident Bernice Scholer looks through the assortment of Girl Scout cookies being delivered by sisters Liv Nelson, right, and Kyla, center Monday morning. Also pictured is St. Ansgar Troop Leader and mom Sarah Nelson. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
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In case you missed it, and you probably haven’t, it’s that time of year for Girl Scout cookies to begin making the round.
And a pair of Girl Scouts from St. Ansgar, Iowa are helping make sure that as many as possible can get these prized cookies.
Liv Nelson and her younger sister Kyla, along with the mother Sarah Nelson were at Good Samaritan Society – Comforcare Monday morning to hand out boxes of cookies to residents. This stop came after visits to Blooming Prairie and their hometown of St. Ansgar.
Liv said that the opportunity to deliver the cookies is a much anticipated time of the year.
“It’s very heart-filling to see them to be happy that they don’t have to pay for it and they are just able to eat it,” she said. “It means so much to them.”
Residents were able to get their box of cookies thanks to the employees of Comforcare themselves, who chipped in the money to secure the cookies.
It’s something many employees have done in years before and look forward to each year to be able to do it again.
“It’s a great feeling,” said registered nurse Gina Richardson. “Watching the residents be around the kids when they have the cookies … it’s just a good feeling to give back to something that they really like. It almost brings them back to a childhood thing, the cookies and the scouts. It’s good for everybody.”
The Nelsons went from room to room, checking in with residents and handing out the cookies. Many times they were met with the same question of cost, but the girls quickly explained the situation and who was responsible.
It was a welcome start to the week for the residents.
“I think it’s wonderful that they are doing this,” said resident Bernice Scholer, adding her praises to the staff as well. “(And) I think it’s great that they are willing to do that.”
For Girl Scout troops across the nation, the annual sale of cookies is the biggest fundraiser of the year. St. Ansgar’s troop, which includes ages kindergarten through fifth grade, is no different.
This year’s order, which included the cookies for Comforcare, was a large one with plenty of work for the girls.
“We had them all delivered to the gym,” said Sarah, trooper leader for St. Ansgar Troop 20238. “We had a big order and the St. Ansgar troops alone had 535 cases of cookies for the girls. We have 36 girls in the troop this year so that’s a lot.”
Despite all of the work, it’s all worth it to be able to deliver this kind of joy to residents.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said CNA, TMA Tracy Erler. “The residents really appreciate it. Some of them don’t have family and they get to be part of our family too and we see them alot.”
