Cookie mentor: How a local Girl Scout is selling cookies, mentoring younger members

Girls Scout cookie season is well underway as scouts from around Lubbock appeal to your tastebuds with their sweet treats.

But have you ever wondered what it takes to sell the cookies and why a Girl Scout is selling them?

For Girl Scout Bri'ele Torrez of Lubbock, this is her 7th year selling the tasty treats. She sold 950 boxes last year alone - her contribution to the over 230,000 boxes sold in the area. This year, she has set her eyes on an even bigger goal — 1,300 boxes of cookies.

Even though she enjoys selling cookies, she said her primary focus this year will be to help others.

“My goal is to actually be more present with the younger Daisies and Brownies because some of them haven't done it,” Torrez said. “It's their first year and I want to pass on the things that I learned when I was younger.”

One of those lessons is to be prepared for the weather, she said.

"Because sometimes you don't know when the weather is going to change in Lubbock," she added.

Sometimes, they will be out at their booths for three to four hours, at various storefronts, and sales can be hit-or-miss. That leads to her second lesson: To never give up and to persevere even when it’s tough.

To Torrez, seeing the younger scouts full of joy and smiling when they make a sale makes selling cookies and mentoring younger scouts worth it.

But that's not to say she doesn't also enjoy the trips the Scout Troops are allowed to take with a portion of the money they raise. A portion of the proceeds also goes to philanthropic efforts.

“We do like to donate to shelters and foundations,” Torrez said.

It's up to the Scout Troop to decide where they want the money to go.

According to the Girls Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, the animal shelters, the Ronald McDonald House, and the South Plains Food Bank are just some of the local nonprofits that have benefited from the generous actions of local troops.

She said she couldn’t have done or learned so much without the help of the Girl Scouts and her parents.

“I would thank them for helping me get through all these seven years of Girl Scouts,” Torrez said. “I would also say to them that, sometimes, I do want to quit Girl Scouts because of all the pressure that I have at school and Girl Scouts. But I stay in it because I like seeing my mom and my dad's face every time they see me achieve my goal or something.”

Where can I buy Girl Scout Cookies in Lubbock?

Cookie sales are currently underway until March 31.

Find a cookie booth near you by going to the Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains’ website. All booths do take cash and credit cards.

Individuals can also buy cookies via the Digital Cookie® by texting “Cookies” to 59618.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock Girl Scout using cookie sale drive to mentor younger girls