By Gerri Miller
Elmore/Autauga News Staff Writer
When disaster strikes, basic items such as toothbrushes, soap or towels may be lost or destroyed. The American Heritage Girls Troop AL 125 in Millbrook has worked for the past few years to collect items and assemble 285 hygiene kits. These kits help those impacted by disaster regain a sense of dignity in the simple action of being able to shower and brush their teeth.
Saturday the Troop spent the day in the Mission to North America (MNA) Warehouse in Rome, Georgia to deliver the kits they collected and assembled. They took a tour of the facility to see where their kits go after they are completed.
MNA Disaster Response provides support to Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) churches in disaster-affected communities through a network of staff and volunteers. They have damage assessment teams, first response teams, site managers, and key leaders.
MNA recruits and mobilizes volunteers, receive and distribute supplies and equipment, bring awareness of specific needs, channel recovery funds, focus prayer and provide spiritual encouragement to church families and their communities.
Millbrook Area Leader Susan Waldrop said that a major goal of AHG is to assist in instilling a heart of service in the girls. “I am blown away each year at the number of service hours our girls accomplish through AHG,” Waldrop said. “Some of the girls on this trip have been collecting and assembling these kits for the last six years and were excited to follow them to the warehouse and learn about all the different service and training opportunities the ministry provides.”
“This is our first year to take the kits to the warehouse and perform service there,” Waldrop said. “We previously have mailed the completed kits.”
A kit consists of a toothbrush, toothpaste, a hand towel, a wash cloth, a bar of soap, a comb, five band aids, nail clippers and a nail file.
MNA also distributes other items groups have collected such as flood buckets full of cleaning supplies, bedding kits, children’s hygiene kits and school supply kits.
The Troop collected school supplies and donated backpacks for Texas in September and laid wreaths on the graves of 396 veterans last year in a program directed by Wreaths Across America.
The troop is also in the middle of the Wreaths Across America collection drive for the ceremony on the December 18th at 10 a.m. The group will again remember and honor veterans by laying Remembrance wreaths on the graves of the country’s fallen heroes.
Waldrop asked for the community’s assistance to help honor and remember as many fallen heroes as possible. This can be done by sponsoring remembrance wreaths, volunteering on Wreaths Day, or inviting family and friends to attend with you.
The online link to donate to the troop for that is https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/AL0045P
Millbrook Presbyterian Church is the charter organization of American Heritage Girls Troop AL-0125 and Trail Life USA Troop AL-0125. Participation in both groups is open to all youth from ages 5 through 18.
The AHG mission is “Building Women of Integrity through Service to God, Family, Community and Country.” The TL mission is “to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others and experience outdoor adventure.”
Meetings are held at Millbrook Presbyterian Church at 6:30 p.m. Future planned activities include lots of camping and other fun activities. Visit AmericanHeritageGirls.org and TrailLifeUSA.com for more information.
American Heritage Girls and Trail Life USA are Christ-centered character, leadership and adventure organizations for girls and boys (K-12) serving more than 60,000 members in 50 states.
If you have any questions about either group, please call the church office at (334-285-4031).
