"SING AND SERVE" For Our Veterans This Veteran's Day!

We have an awesome opportunity to be part of a wonderful program honoring our Veterans! We will be singing a song for them and then serving them lunch. This was an amazing event last year!

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 11th - Girls arrive at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: 1745 Missions Dr. Solvang

* Girls should be in full uniform
* They will be singing along with a choir "God Bless America"
* Afterwards, girls who can stay will help serve lunch by dishing up salad, hot dogs, and cake to attending veterans
* Recommended: It's really nice if girls can make thank you cards to hand out to veterans while they eat lunch. They don't have to be big and fancy - simple "Thank you for your service" sorts of things (include this in your service hours)

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NEW Rescue Mission Service Opportunity!

Our local Rescue Mission will be feeding approximately 1000 people Thanksgiving dinner

 When:  Monday, November 21st 

Where: Santa Maria Fairpark

**Read the details below** Then, if your family would like to participate, please follow this link to Sign-up Genius and pick a time slot: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4da5ad2aa3f58-rescue3

People from all over Santa Maria stand in line for hours in order to eat a hot meal and receive encouragement and prayer from local volunteers. Many of the people in line will be children, who have come with their parents. Imagine standing in line for hours for something as simple as a hot meal! I am organizing a group of families that will come together to make the wait a little bit more fun for the children. We will be setting up various stations with activities, crafts, and games outside in order to give the children something to do while they wait in line. Last year we had several carnival games, face painting, coloring, story telling, crafts, balloon animals and more.  

People will begin standing in line at 8:30 am and the event will end between 2:00-3:00. We will have several 2 hour shifts to choose from. 

Each family will need to provide all the necessary items for whatever activity they wish to present to the kids. Last year I would estimate that we saw 100 kids in an hour so if you will be providing an activity for a 2 hour shift, I would recommend having enough of whatever you are doing for 200 kids. We will be outside so keep that in mind when thinking of activities.  The Rescue Mission will provide tables if your activity requires them.  Last year the people who brought the carnival games gave out candy as prizes. The kids loved it! 

**Please remember that the children will vary in age but many will be preschool age and younger. The children who have not started school will most likely be Spanish speaking only. Keep this in mind if you have an activity that needs to be explained. If you speak Spanish you are a precious commodity for this event!!!!**
 
Here is a list of activities that I think would be fun but please don’t be limited by this list. Carnival type games:

• Face painting
• Balloon animals
• Helium balloons
• Coloring station 
• Simple craft 
• Paper airplane making and throwing station
• Lollipop tree
• Plinko
• Temporary tattoos
• Clowns or Mimes

Date Change for Trunk or Treat Flyer Distribution

The date for flyer distribution for Pine Grove Baptist's Trunk or Treat Event has changed* - instead of Oct. 22nd, it will now be Sat. October 29th, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. (meet at 8:45). If you signed up but will now be unable to do this service activity OR if you are now able to do it,  please let Diane Smith know ASAP.

NOTE: This is the same day as the Care Net service project which begins at 2:00 p.m.

*There is no change to the other Trunk or Treat Service Opportunities - dates and times for the Cupcake baking and Games/Hospitality Help is the same as before.

Let's Go Bowling!

We're getting together with our Santa Ynez AHG sisters on for an afternoon of fellowship and fun. No badgework or community service here - this is strictly for kicks and giggles. Bring the family, but note that families pay for their own on this one.

WHEN: Sunday, October 23rd
WHERE: Rancho Bowl (128 E. Donovan Rd., Santa Maria)

Mark your calendar!

Tenderhearts & Explorers - Sign-up to Present Badges Completed at Home

Since there are a larger number of girls in our Tenderheart and Explorer groups, we would appreciate it if girls (or their parents) would let the leaders know in advance if their daughter has a badge to present.

To help with this, there will be sign-up sheets - one for Tenderhearts and one for Explorers - at the sign-in table.  

Please write the name of the presenter and then put a checkmark IF the badge requires that she present something to the entire group

(Note: not all badges have to be presented to the whole group and can be discussed with just the leader - if time permits, however, we would love for the girls to be able to share what they learned with everyone in their unit).

Our Pi/Pats group is smaller so presentation time may not be an issue. The leaders will let the girls know how they would like to schedule presentations.

Sign-up prior to the meeting date, if possible, so that leaders can 
plan their activities around the correct number of presentations.

Updated: THREE Service Opportunities for Trunk or Treat at Pine Grove Baptist

There are a few NEW service opportunities coming up in October - all are tied to a community outreach of Pine Grove Baptist Church and all are optional.

PGBC Church Family Members at Trunk or Treat

PGBC will be hosting a TRUNK OR TREAT event on Monday, October 31st, and we are in need of helpers for game booths and the refreshment tables. The hours of this event are 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (coming earlier to help with set up or staying to help clean-up is also possible - opportunity for lots of service hours). We are also in need of cupcakes for the Cupcake Walk at the Trunk or Treat event and for helpers to pass out flyers prior to the event on Saturday, October 29th, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

DETAILS:

1) Trunk or Treat Event Specifics - open to Pioneers and Patriots. Explorers and Tenderhearts can also participate if they are paired with an adult or responsible teen (can be a Pi/Pat). Costumes OR American Hertitage Girl uniforms should be worn. Come at 5:00 p.m. (event starts at 5:30). Or come earlier and help set up.

2) *DATE CHANGED* Flyer Distribution Option - meet at the church in uniform and comfortable walking shoes. The girls will be helping other church members by leaving flyers for the Trunk or Treat Event at the doorsteps of homes in neighborhoods across the street from the church. There is no need to knock or ring doorbells - it's simply a flyer canvasing. Girls can be paired with a buddy but would need to have 1 adult walking with them. Meet at Pine Grove Baptist Church at 8:45 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 29th.

3) Cupcake Option - girls can earn service hours for any time they spend baking and decorating cupcakes to be given as prizes at the Trunk or Treat event. Girls should plan to deliver one to two dozen cupcakes to Pine Grove Baptist Church before 5:00 p.m. the day of the event (Oct. 31).

**Note that PGBC's AWANA meets the night before on Sun. Oct. 30th 6:00 p.m.-7:45 p.m. so cupcakes can also be delivered then - drop-off in the kitchen downstairs.

Pine Grove is a small church with a BIG job of reaching out to the families in our surrounding neighborhoods which have grown with new construction. Any help from the American Heritage Girls is a real blessing and greatly appreciated by our church family.

***There will be a sign-up sheet for the Trunk or Treat, Cupcake Making, AND the Flyer Distribution Service Opportunities at the October meetings. We really need to know earlier rather than later so that the church will know what gaps still need to filled at this popular neighborhood event.

You can also contact Diane Smith by email or comment below if you plan to participate in one of these service projects.

Joining Award - Completion Instructions

What a meeting! We have so many new girls and a lot of ground was covered in our Joining Award meeting today. Still, not everything could fit into the time we had so there's a little cutting and gluing to finish on their Joining Award Lapbooks.

When it's all done, have your daughter share with you the different parts to help them learn and reinforce the information.  

Here are a couple views of the lapbooks to help you complete the project.

Here's the front.

Here's the inside - some things may be glued in slightly different places from the example and that's OK.

NOTE: Under the flaps in the Creed section, girls can write an example or a time when that particular trait was demonstrated ("I showed compassion when..." or "I saw compassion when...").

Each girl also took home a page of illustrated AHG girls that can be colored, cut, and pasted on the back of the lapbook if desired.

Anyone who missed this meeting will find all the parts in their folder in the family communication box to take home next time. All new AHG girls need to earn the Joining Award and this is a fun way to explore the different parts and history of AHG.

“Respect Life” Service Project

Our Troop will be collecting items for Care Net Pregnancy and Resource Center in Santa Maria. They have served the community since 1990 and have helped over 8,000 men, women, and families with free services. They provide pregnancy tests, parenting classes, support groups, and free baby items to parents enrolled in our classes.

COLLECTION PERIOD:
The girls can collect donations from friends, relatives and neighbors. Items that are needed:

Diapers—specifically needed sizes Newborn, 2,and 5
Packages of wipes
Baby clothing up to size 2T
Other: Strollers, board books, toys, maternity clothing,
Gently used items only. Please no stained, torn, or outdated clothing. No cribs, carseats or bedding. 

Collection period October 1-24

Bring items to the AHG meeting on October 24th.

SERVICE DAY:
Saturday, October 29th, 2-4pm
The girls will be getting the Center ready for an Open House by dusting, vacuuming, cleaning windows, cleaning toys in the children’s waiting room, sorting clothes, fold and hang up baby clothes, wrap diapers in bundles of 12, help with mailing labels, envelope stuffing, etc.


Location:
Care Net Santa Maria
201 South Miller, Suite 101, Santa Maria CA 93454 (805) 928-9285
(Near the Town Center Mall by the Sears automotive department)

**If you are not able to participate in the Service Day Event, you can still collect items and bring them to the Oct. 24th meeting.**

Giving Back to Those Who Give to Our Community

Visiting Fire and Police Stations in honor of the National Day of Service - giving thanks to those who compassionately serve the community with cards, tasty treats, and singing.  Thank you to all who serve!

First Service Project of the Year!

We are only a couple weeks away from our first meeting scheduled on Sept 12th and we already have a service project planned for Saturday September 17th. During our first meeting we will be having the girls get together in their units and make cards for the fire department, police department, and Department of Forestry. We will be going to each of the 3 departments in Santa Maria/ Orcutt on September 17th from 2 to 4 PM.

If you are interested in baking a little something to bless the personnel with, please feel free to do so.

This service project is not mandatory - please let your leader know if you will be attending.