FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Catholic PRWire

Radio program reveals true colors of American Heritage Girls
American Heritage Girls partner with Joni Eareckson Tada, advocates for disability awareness

Cincinnati, OH (December 9, 2011) - A radio program from the words of Joni Eareckson Tada discovers the heart of American Heritage Girls (AHG). Hear the complete broadcast at http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/5-minute/american-heritage-girls/

Joni Eareckson Tada, disability awareness advocate and founder of Joni and Friends spoke about AHG in a recent radio broadcast:

“(The Girls) They were all dressed up in their red, white and blue uniforms – and all of them so respectful, so diligent. I learned they were American Heritage Girls. Later in the day when we all got together for a photo, I asked them to recite their pledge and show me their badges. And I commended them for their community support.”

“Well, watching these little girls really got me interested, and I had to find out exactly what is American Heritage Girls.”

“I learned it was all started some years ago when Patti, a local leader of a Girl Scout troop in Ohio became dismayed when the national leadership made a ruling that local leaders could substitute the word God in the Pledge…”

“She wondered what she should do – as a dedicated troop leader, she felt responsible for the girls under her charge. It hurt her deeply that an organization that she loved so much was seeming to drift.”

“She put the matter to prayer, asking the Lord for wisdom and resources. And it wasn’t long until American Heritage Girls was created.”

Now 16 years later, American Heritage Girls (AHG) is nearly 15,000 members strong, in 42 states and is reported to be the fastest growing all-girl scouting organization in the nation. Patti Garibay is the founder and executive director. The mission of AHG is to raise women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.

Joni and Friends had the honor of writing the requirements an AHG’s disabilities awareness badge called All God’s Children. In 2010, Joni and Friends won AHG’s revered Molly Pitcher Award. This prestigious award is national in scope and is named after Mary Hays McCauley who shared the rigors of Valley Forge with her husband, William Hays during the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. Molly’s work is legendary as she brought pitcher after pitcher of water, across bullet-swept ground, to exhausted and thirsty men. Like Molly, Joni and Friends continue to come to the aid of the others when they need it most. Joni Eareckson Tada supports AHG in their development of special needs curriculum that assists AHG volunteers in opening their Troops to all girls, especially those with special needs.

AHG values its ministry partners like Joni and Friends and believes that by utilizing the resources of passionate ministries we can all benefit. Visit the AHG website to read about other amazing AHG partnerships.

Eareckson Tada ended the broadcast saying, “A lot of good character is sure being built up in these girls, and I'm grateful our ministry is playing a small part in it.”

For a complete broadcast and transcript go to Joni and Friends’ website at http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/5-minute/american-heritage-girls/

To schedule an interview with AHG’s Executive Director and Founder, Patti Garibay and for more information about AHG, go to www.ahgonline.org or go directly to the AHG News & Marketing page at http://www.ahgonline.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=19339

Contact

American Heritage Girls
http://www.ahgonline.org/uploads/JoniandFriends_AHGPRdec2011.pdf  OH, 45246 US
Jody Token - National Public Relations,  314-479-9388

Keywords

girl, scouts, scouting, pro-life, american, heritage, girls, family, disability

Category

Catholic Resources