For those craving Girl Scout Cookies, the wait is over.

Girl Scout Cookie sales are now underway at local stores and shopping centers, including Lowe's Home Improvement, 340 Crossings Blvd., Elverson, and Walmart, 100 Crossings Blvd., Elverson, both located in the Morgantown Crossings shopping center.

To search for other locations, visit http://www.girlscouts.org and enter a ZIP code into the cookie locater. Cookies can also be purchased online starting on Monday, Feb. 27. The newest cookie, Raspberry Rally, which is a thin, crispy cookie with a raspberry flavor dipped in chocolate, can only be purchased online.

Locally, troop members from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) who were selling cookies on a recent weekend at the Elverson Walmart included Girl Scouts Hatleigh Weidner, accompanied by her mother, Katie Weidner, and Maggie Heiser, accompanied by her mother, Rebecca Heiser. The girls are members of Brownie Troop 12147, which meets at the Robeson Elementary Center.

Both girls reported that Thin Mints and Caramel deLites were the best-selling cookies. Other varieties include Lemonades, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Peanut Butter Patties, Trefoils and Adventurefuls, which were introduced in 2022. Adventurefuls are brownie-inspired cookies with caramel-flavored crème and a touch of sea salt.

"(The girls') favorite (cookie) changes every time you ask," said Katie. "They like them all."

Those who visit the booths also have an opportunity to donate cookies to Hometown Heroes, a program adopted in 2019 by GSEP. In the Twin Valley area, cookies will go to the Twin Valley Food Pantry, Hope Rescue Mission and Helping Harvest (formerly the Greater Berks Food Bank).

According to http://www.gsep.org, Girl Scouts are learning five skills when selling cookies: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. "They are learning money management, people skills and social skills because they learn how to talk to people and interact with people and goal setting," said Rebecca, who noted that the troop is working toward a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in June.

In addition to troop activities, the Scouts take part in community service projects, including volunteering at Historic Joanna Furnace during the Fall Festival. "They help set up at the festival and they helped with scarecrow making," said Katie.

Girl Scout Cookie sales will continue through the end of March. For more information, visit the aforementioned websites.