Champaign-Urbana area Girl Scout leaders and their troops are breathing a sigh of relief after learning the Champaign office is no longer closing- it’s just relocating.
After 10 years, the local Girl Scout office and shop is moving from it current location at 701 Devonshire Dr. in Champaign to the University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright St.
The move will save the organization money, and the best news yet: all of the same services will still be available to troops and their leaders.
“Really, the only thing that’s changing is our address,” said Pam Kovacevich, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.
The lease on the Devonshire property, which Kovacevich described as “overly priced for what we needed”, expires this year.
Attempts to find an alternative, more affordable location were made but nothing seemed to fit the needs of the organization.
“We looked very, very diligently for a relocation spot and could not find anything that met our needs, met the girls needs, that could be done on the budget that we wanted it to be done on so that we were being good stewards of the girls’ money,” Kovacevich said.
Then they found an opportunity at the University YMCA last week.
“This was very serendipitous. It just kind of fell in our laps and made the most sense for the girls and that’s what we’re about. We’re about providing the most high quality experience for the girls that we can and this location will do that,” she added.
Many who feared they were losing their local office for good are grateful it will remain open.
Stephanie Baker, a Champaign Girl Scout leader who visited the office several times a month, says she’s “very excited that we will still have an office to go to in the Champaign area.”
Kovacevich said there would be no gap in service for the Girl Scouts. When the current office closes on July 29, the new one will open on the next business day.
Champaign is one of six centers that serve the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, which covers 38 counties. For more information about the local Girl Scout organization, go to its website or Facebook page.