AHG Members Accomplished Nearly 420,000 Service Hours Throughout Last Program Year
November 29, 2021
CINCINNATI, Ohio — With the holidays fast approaching, many people report feeling the mental strain of holiday festivities and expectations, with 38% of people reporting that their stress was increased by the holiday season. This additional anxiety can even filter down to children, with some experts saying that “many children experience a sense of loss, sadness or isolation during the holidays,” especially during the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
American Heritage Girls (AHG, www.americanheritagegirls.org), oneof the world’s largest Christian, scout-type organizations, is well-aware of this unfortunate trend in children’s mental health. With progressive level Christian programming that is rich in opportunities for girls of all ages and abilities, AHG is dedicated to equipping young women with the biblical background, leadership abilities, and life skills to be a well-rounded woman of faith.
AHG founder and executive director Patti Garibay commented, “We have to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health, but there’s still a stigma and unwillingness to be open about it. We encourage parents, guardians, and teachers to be open with their girls about this troubling trend around the holidays and come up with solutions to help combat these mental health issues.”
One way to combat the holiday blues in children is through volunteer work. Many experts agree that donating time to help others is a great way to address mental health struggles around the holiday, especially for children.
For AHG, their members have demonstrated a huge capacity for volunteer work. AHG Troops regularly perform service of all types within their communities year-round. In the last AHG Program Year ending May 30, 2021, AHG girls accomplished an impressive total of 417,295 service hours.
Garibay commented, “Volunteering can teach your child the importance of giving and expressing gratitude. Donating food to a local food bank, volunteering at a local animal shelter or soup kitchen—there are so many ways to get your girl out around the holidays to serve others. The act of serving others in your community helps refocus the heart to the real focus of the holiday season and break that negative mental state.”
American Heritage Girls was founded in 1995 by a group of parents who wanted this faith-based, scout-type character development program for their daughters. At AHG, girls ages five to 18 meet together as a single Troop at the same time and then break out into Units by Levels. This gives AHG girls the important social experience of interacting with friends and godly mentors of various ages; members also learn leadership skills within a group setting. AHG Troops are located in local communities across the nation. If none exists in a given area, families can bring the AHG Program to their own area. An American Heritage Girls Troop Development Coach is available to provide resources to potential Charter Organizations and other families to form a new Troop. To hear more about the purpose, mission, and vision of AHG from Founder and Executive Director Patti Garibay, click here.
Today, there are Troops in all 50 states and girls being served in 15 countries around the globe. Girls can join a Troop at any time; if a Troop is not available nearby, they can become a Trailblazer and enjoy the AHG program alongside their parent. A variety of Christian denominations are also represented as Charter Organizations for Troops. Thousands of volunteer members across the country are helping girls grow in their faith, cultivate a heart for service, enjoy the great outdoors, and have more fun than they can imagine.
The “Raising Godly Girls” radio feature and Raising Godly Girls blog shares guidance and biblically based advice on many key topics affecting girls today—including the prevalence of bullying and cyberbullying. It gives parents, educators, and faith community leaders a set of tools, resources, and Scripture-based advice to assist in raising girls after God’s own heart. The “Raising Godly Girls Minute” with Patti Garibay airs on 900+ Christian radio stations across the country.
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To schedule interviews with Patti Garibay, Founder and Executive Director of American Heritage Girls, contactMedia@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096 ext. 105, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.To inquire about airing the “Raising Godly Girls Minute” with Patti Garibay, contact Michael Hamilton, 610.584.1096, ext. 101.