Join the Relief Effort for Girl Scouts of Japan

How you can help    

We are devastated by the catastrophe in Japan and, on a personal level, are deeply concerned about our sisters there, the Girl Scouts of Japan.  USA Girl Scouts Overseas has served American military and civilian families in Japan for many years, and has extremely close ties with Girl Scouts of Japan. In fact, many of our overseas troops and Girl Scouts of Japan are sister troops.  We have received many calls from Girl Scouts around the country asking how to help and are happy to report that the policy that prohibits Girl Scouts from raising money for other organizations has been temporarily suspended. To contribute to earthquake and tsunami relief efforts, you can make an online donation to the newly established Girl Scouts of Japan Relief Efforts.  At times like these, Girl Scouts throughout the world come together in sisterhood to help those in need. We have seen our Movement rally in support of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters over the years, and will continue to do everything we can to help our sister Girls Scouts of Japan in the weeks and months ahead.

Make checks payable to Girl Scouts of the USA:

Girl Scouts of the USA-Fund Development
P.O. Box 5046
New York, NY  10087-5046
Memo: Girl Scouts of Japan relief efforts 

Girls are also encouraged to send expressions of friendship to their sister Girl Scouts in Japan by making origami cranes (Sadako). For instructions, see YouTube videos. The Girl Scouts of Japan made and mailed thousands of these cranes to the United States as an expression of peace and friendship after the September 11th tragedy.

Service Unit 51-7 - Save Our Sisters Japan Disaster Relief Event

In this Slideshow:

• Troop 1346 Made Paper Cranes for Their Sister Girl Scouts in Japan. Photographer: Unknown
• Daisy Troop 4764 made Smiley Face Cards and Collected Pennies to send to their Girl Scout sisters in Japan. Photographer: Heather Adams
• Troop 1273 Making Cranes for Japan. Photographer: Jennifer Manguera
• Girl Scout Cadette troop 4672 made over 1,000 paper cranes as an expression of solidarity for the March 11, 2011 tragedies that struck Japan and presented the cranes to Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisake during a 40-minute visit to the Embassy.

Mail cranes to:

USAGSO - West Pacific
HQ USARJ/9th TSC
Unit 45005
APO, AP 96343-5005

Helping Girl Scout Sisters in Japan

Posted March 14, 2011 

Friends and Colleagues,  

We are all saddened with the terrible news from Japan over these past few days. Our hearts and thoughts are with everyone suffering from this horrible tragedy.

This is the news from GSUSA:

• USA Girl Scouts Overseas: As many of you know, we do maintain an office and staff in Japan to support the families of military personnel stationed there. Reports are that our office has suffered minor damage -and that all the staff and their families are fine.
• Fund Raising Policy: It is fine for troops/groups/girls to raise money to aid victims of this horrible disaster. Remember that in the early stages of disasters like this, money is more helpful than "care packages".
• Helping Girl Scouts of Japan: We are very concerned about our Girl Scout sisters who are members of Girl Scouts of Japan and we would like to provide some movement-wide support to them. Details are not available yet, but we will be setting up an account at Girl Scouts of the USA to collect donations to go to Girl Scouts of Japan so that we can send one large donation on behalf of all of Girl Scout sisters in the USA. 

More information to follow. 

GSUSA has posted more information in their blog. Read More here...

Posted: Jun 9, 2011