Girl Scouts in NYC Shelter Help Asylum-Seekers Feel Hopeful and Stable.

In a hotel in midtown Manhattan, a unique group of Girl Scouts meets weekly to earn badges and explore their new city. These girls are part of Troop 6000, a special Girl Scout troop for kids living in an emergency shelter, amidst 170,000 asylum seekers and migrants in New York City.

Troop 6000 has been welcoming new young residents since 2017, offering a supportive community for girls who have escaped tough situations in South and Central America. Despite criticism and the political debates surrounding immigration, the troop continues to gather support and help these girls adjust to their new lives.

With the shelter becoming a home for many migrant families, Troop 6000 has become the only children's program available, growing rapidly in popularity. They've introduced a bilingual program to help the scouts learn more about New York, making it the largest of the troop’s sites across the city.

Seven years ago, a single mother living in a shelter started Troop 6000 to help girls like her daughters find a sense of community and support. The initiative gained massive support from the community and philanthropies, allowing it to expand to more than 2,500 scouts and leaders citywide.

New York City's major philanthropies have been collaborating to provide over $25 million in aid for charities supporting asylum seekers, despite the city facing its own financial and housing crises. These efforts emphasize the role of charities and nonprofits in offering swift and effective help to newcomers, with the goal of making the city a better place for everyone, including its newest residents.