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GSEWNI Emergency Resources and Information

At Girl Scouts, there is nothing we take more seriously than the safety and well-being of our girls, volunteers and council staff. With current conditions we are providing updates that may be of interest to you:

  • GSEWNI Program Center and Store are open.
    Program Center Hours: Monday-Friday 8-5 
    Spokane Store Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5, Saturday 10-2
    Tri-Cities Store Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 11:30-7, Saturday 10-2 
  • Our online store is taking orders, but shipping may be less timely than usual. .
  • Our guidance to Girl Scout troops and service units in Idaho: Starting May 16, 2020 – If your troop is less than 10 people, you may choose to resume in-person troop meetings. Starting May 30, 2020 – Your troop and/or Service Unit may have in-person meetings of up to 50 people.

It is important to remember Girl Scouting is a voluntary activity and each family needs to choose for their own girl what is best for her and their family.  If a family chooses not to participate in in-person troop meetings please find ways to help keep that girl involved as a member of your troop.  The girl should not be penalized for a choice to not join in-person meetings at this time.   

We are continuing to explore ways to unleash the Girl Scout experience in the safety of your home. While our program center is closed, the majority of staff continue to telework to support your Girl Scout experience. We deeply appreciate our Girl Scout family and wish you peace and safety in your communities this season of spring.

Staff and Office

At this time, our office and stores are open. Our staff are also available to support you via email and phone 509-747-8091. As Girl Scouts, we have faced many adverse times in our Nation’s history, this is another part of our story. How we support each other, our girls and volunteers, will determine our strength moving forward. As our situation continures to change and evovle we will update this website and communications to you will be sent via email. 

Spring and Summer Troop Travel Recommendations

Domestic (extended/3+night) Travel

  • Trips scheduled now-mid June: all trips should be cancelled or rescheduled. We are happy to help you with this. 
  • Trips scheduled for the remainder of the membership year: Work on contingency plans. Please contact us with questions.

International Travel

  • Trips scheduled now-mid July: all trips should be cancelled or rescheduled. We are happy to help you with this. 
  • Trips scheduled for the remainder of the membership year: Work on contingency plans. Please contact us with questions.

Helpful Tips for Families
Online Meeting Resources

It is unfortunate that COVID-19 is interfering with Girl Scouts’ ability to meet and learn together. Thank you all for taking steps to ensure the safety of girls in this difficult time.

While we cannot endorse or support specific online meeting tools for your use, we are aware of several tools troops and service units are using for virtual meetings. See below for a list of free and low-cost tools that could be useful to you. We encourage troop leaders to look at these and alternative options and discuss with parents and girls to determine what the best solution is for your troop’s needs. 

Video and Audio-Conferencing Tools with free versions 

While all of these options have a free version, please note you may be prompted to consider their upgraded versions for a subscription fee.

  • Zoom - FAQ
    • Note: Meetings durations maximum of 40 minutes in free version
  • Skype - Support
    • Note: Up to 10 participants free
  • Webex – Help Center
    • Note: Limited file and content sharing in free version

Chat and Collaboration Tools with free versions

Additional low-cost tools for collaboration and conferencing to consider if the above options do not meet your group's needs.

Program Resources

Preventative Measures

We encourage you to be proactive and suggest that you follow basic hygiene precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

  • Wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds with soap and water, particularly before snacks and meals.
  • If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing then dispose of the tissue appropriately.

We will continue to monitor COVID-19 updates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)the World Health Organization, and state and local public health departments. As always, check the CDC and your local health department’s website for the most up-to-date information.