Troop 6000

“This is a remarkable book. Nikita Stewart has managed to craft an inspirational tale that starts in a makeshift homeless shelter in a budget hotel and sparked a national movement. This isn’t just a story about a Girl Scout troop for girls living in a shelter, although Troop 6000 compellingly details the ups and downs of trying to start something from nothing with sheer grit. It is also a story about how difficult it is to break out of the cycle of poverty, and how many people living in shelters are the working poor, juggling full-time jobs with the full-time job of meeting government requirements for living in government shelters. I read this book in two days because I couldn’t put it down and I didn’t want to say goodbye.”—Kim Barker, New York Times bestselling author of The Taliban Shuffle “Few journalists write about those forced to the margins with the grace, compassion, and humility of Nikita Stewart. In Troop 6000, Stewart does not create perfect heroes, but tells the not-always-triumphant story of flawed, everyday people doing the best they can to create something beautiful out of the most difficult circumstances. By rendering  the full and complicated humanity of the girls, women, and men of the nation’s first Girl Scout troop that begin in a homeless shelter, Stewart’s narrative manages to reveal how miraculous these troop members really are while simultaneously indicting the rest of us for continuing to allow the conditions that make this troop necessary.”—Nikole Hannah-Jones, award-winning investigative reporter, The New York Times Magazine “In an accessible narrative that encompasses a range of social justice concerns, [Stewart] chronicles Giselle’s initial encounter with the Girl Scouts and the idea to begin a troop when she realized that the girls around her would benefit from its encouraging community. Giselle’s life on the page unfolds in a readable fashion calibrated for emotional, uplifting crescendos. . . . Featuring a sensitive treatment of a still-existing homelessness epidemic, this is an impassioned look at how Troop 6000 inspired others to form in its wake. A tale of how grassroots spirit and gritty determination can bloom into hope.”—Kirkus Reviews“Stewart doesn’t shy away from the harsh and often invisible realities of homelessness… . Readers will be moved by the resilience of Giselle, Hailey, Katrina, and all of the girls and women who come alive on the page.”—Booklist “Effective as a feel-good account of family and community working against adversity and the benefits of Scouting for girls and their parents, the book is equally valuable for its intimate views of homelessness and its day-to-day effects.”—Library Journal

Nikita Stewart is a reporter covering social services for The New York Times. The Newswomen’s Club of New York recognized Stewart in 2018 for her coverage of homelessness, mental health, and poverty. She has been a finalist for the Livingston Award and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award. She joined The New York Times in 2014 after working at The Washington Post.