They come in all flavors, shapes and sizes. Girl Scout cookies will cure a sweet tooth craving and they are tasty, too.

And each box of cookies sold will benefit a good cause.

Every winter, girls across the country begin selling Girl Scout cookies, and the money from the sale of the cookies is used to fund many projects.

In Gordon County, the money will be used to fund two outdoor trips in February and March.

“My troops will have two camping trips that it’ll pay for and we always give back,” said Goldie Woody, the service unit leader and cookie manager. “We give a gift of caring and last year we had 10 percent of our profit go to the VAC (Volunteer Action Center).”

Cookie orders are taking place now. The girls in the Heritage service unit aren’t just out in the community taking cookie orders and soliciting customers at several locations; they are also learning.

“One thing they learn is goal setting and money management and the other is working as a team,” Woody said. “And when we do our booth sales, they partner up.”

Cookie orders will arrive on Feb. 16, and the remainder of the month for the Girl Scouts will be spent selling cookies at booth and by walking door to door.

Booth sales begin Feb. 20. Customers can purchase cookies outside of Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Kroger and CVS, from 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the weekend.

Woody says the Girl Scouts have also introduced a new program — Cookies for a Change — for the non-cookie eater or current dieter, which allows them to contribute or donate a box of cookies to others in a community or overseas.

“People that want to support cookies and don’t want the cookies can make a donation box (of cookies),” said Woody. “A donation box can be sent to a hospital, fireman and policeman and in the last couple of years we’ve done boxes for (military) troops.”

Cookie varieties include the traditional Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas and Trefoils and a variety of new flavors, as well as lower sugar options.

“Half of the proceeds to go girl-funded programs, one third of the cookies goes to the bakery and another third is the troop proceeds and the other third is part of the recognition awards for girls,” Woody explained.

Woody says most of the money will benefit the troop directly, while the other portion benefits the Heritage service unit, which is made up of other local troops merged into one.

Anyone interested in ordering cookies or making a contribution towards the camping trip for the scouts in our area, who are a part of the Girl Scouts of the Greater Atlanta area chapter, can visit the Web site at www.girlscoutsofgreateratlanta.com or call 770-608-3876.