While selling cookies outside a Katy-area restaurant on February 18, local Girl Scout Karoline Hines caught the attention of a generous stranger who noticed her vest covered in hard-earned badges. After asking how many boxes she had left, he purchased all 67 — more than $400 worth — and asked her to keep selling until 8 p.m. and then gift the boxes to customers leaving the restaurant.

The Katy Times has since learned that the generous stranger, Jeremy Fuller, is the owner of Katy H2O Solutions, which sells high quality whole home filtration products.

Karoline, who attends West Memorial Junior High, is a proud member of Girl Scout Troop 127097, and Girl Scouts — especially cookie season — has helped her find her voice, both literally and figuratively. She is 13 years old and has been a Girl Scout for eight years. Karoline sells 2,000 to 3,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies each year and has earned numerous cookie badges. But it hasn’t been an easy path.

She joined in first grade during a time when she was still overcoming significant speech challenges. Karoline did not begin speaking until she was three years old and underwent speech-related surgery in first grade. In her early Girl Scout years — especially during cookie season — it was sometimes difficult for others to understand her. Selling cookies required her to step outside of her comfort zone and speak to strangers, which did not always come easily.

However, she kept showing up.

Each year, cookie season helped build her confidence and strengthen her communication skills. What once felt intimidating gradually became something she truly enjoyed. Over time, Girl Scouts has helped her grow tremendously in both self-confidence and leadership.

Karoline was singing before she was speaking. Music became one of the ways she expressed herself when words were still difficult. That is one of the reasons she enjoys creating Girl Scout cookie music videos each year— it combines her love of music with the confidence she has gained throughout her journey.

On Mardi Gras Tuesday, February 18, while selling at Texas Borders Bar & Grill at 1251 Pin Oak Road in Katy, Karoline experienced a full-circle moment. A man – whom she did not know -- purchased her remaining stock of 67 boxes of cookies and asked her to continue selling until her booth was finished, then give the 67 boxes away to customers inside the restaurant. That man was Jeremy Fuller, who was once a Cub Scout himself.

The DJ at the restaurant announced the generous purchase and invited everyone to come get free Girl Scout cookies. Karoline confidently handed out cookies to a room full of people — something that would have felt impossible just a few years ago, her mother told the Katy Times. “Watching her growth over the years has been incredibly meaningful for our family,” she said.

That same evening, she sold approximately 100 boxes in total, not including the 67 boxes that were purchased and gifted. Additionally, Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating and Texas Borders generously donated $300 and asked Karoline to provide 50 boxes of cookies to the Katy Police Department.

“It truly became a night centered on community generosity,” said Karoline’s mother.

About Girl Scout Cookie Season:

Cookie Season runs through March 22 and helps girls build essential skills like entrepreneurship, money management, and people skills. The money Girl Scouts earn stays local and helps them fund adventures year-round.