Service Night Recap...and what's coming up!

Parents...thanks for sharing your girls with us last night for Service Night!  We had a night that was planned specifically to get the girls to think and feel a little bit of tug in their hearts.  Lots of info was shared last night and we wanted to help you understand how the meeting went and what our purpose for the night was overall.  

Our meeting started out with a devotion and skit led by Mrs. Brase.  This was a great introduction to our night!  The rest of our evening included three sessions in our Service Night.  Here is what we did, the goals for our night and what is coming up!

Session 1:

We started out our evening with two speakers...

• Teresa with Hugs from Hunter Foundation and 
• Marti Ogren who shared about Creating Hope for Cambodia.

Hugs from Hunter Foundation is a group that was started because of a little boy who passed away about 2 years ago from an ATV accident.  He was an active kid that lived in Rochester and one of the things that he wanted to do was read to kids in the hospital.  He also loved to make people laugh.  After he passed away, his cousin, who is 14, wanted to do something for kids that are in hospitals that would provide a little more comfort and something that was also for the siblings that are right there beside them in those moments.  She decided to make blankets and provide those along with teddy bears for 50 kids.  They raised the money.  They put in the work and they met that goal.  The project and desire to help others has grown and has now become a foundation...the Hugs from Hunter Foundation.  You can find out more info about this foundation at their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hugs-From-Hunter-Foundation/368344206590377  A fundraiser is also being held this weekend at Christ Community Church.  More details about this event can be found at www.cccrochester.org  

Creating Hope for Cambodia is a craft sale that has been in place for a few years in Rochester.  Just this past weekend several people got together to sell their items that they had made and many people came to purchase those items.  Marti shared her passion for this service project that she has helped create because she has heard the stories of girls that live in Cambodia and realized that their futures are not bright and full of hope with Jesus unless someone helps them.  She came home from one of her trips and knew she had to do something.  The girls in the country of Cambodia don't have opportunities to go to school because it costs money and the majority of families just don't have enough money for that luxury of education.  Hard to think that school is a luxury sometimes but it truly is.  Food and shelter are the priorities for this culture and even those are at extreme conditions compared to what we are comfortable with here in the US.  We didn't share the full impact with the AHG troop the entire reason why Creating Hope for Cambodia is in place, because it is a sensitive subject...but parents, this is in place because girls that are the age of our little ones in AHG are being sold to brothels.  Families are that in need that this really is what is happening in this country.  It truly is hard to imagine.  By getting girls educated and providing the funds to do that...girls are being saved and rescued from that life.  That is why Creating Hope for Cambodia exists today.  Our kids don't need to understand the full reason behind what this ministry is about but they can understand the need to help others that just need to stay in school...and we even had AHG families and kids part of this event this past weekend.  Kids sold lemonade, made paper craft items, food and other very cute things.  This event will be held again next Fall and handmade, quality items can be made by kids all year round...and will help save a little girl.  You can find out more info about Creating Hope for Cambodia at their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/CreatingHope4Cambodia

Session 2:

Each level broke into groups and had their own time of learning about service that was related to their age level.

Tenderhearts - These great girls had a chance to chat about what service is with Jessica and had some great ideas.  We went over a few of the questions that are listed at the end of this post and the goal was to get the girls to think about what we could do for service that maybe they haven't already done.  We also wanted them to think about what they enjoy doing and realize that they can use that as service too.  Some of the girls like to make cookies.  Some shared that they rake their neighbors' leaf pile, and many of them like to talk with others.  :)  They were all so cute as they shared and were thinking about what they could do.  After the conversation the Tenderhearts had about 20 minutes where they worked on making blankets for the Hugs From Hunter Foundation.  There were quite a few colorful blankets being made in the room!  (Leaders...thanks for doing all that cutting!)

Explorers - Mrs. Gisi met with this group and they had a story that was shared about poverty and bullying.  The girls had a great conversation after the story that was coordinated with this book and the contents...and also helped the girls think about what their talents are and gifts God gave them and how they can use those to help others.

Pi/Pa - Marti Ogren met with these older girls and shared about the Days for Girls organization.  This organization is in place because girls in other countries are not able to go to school or work when they have their period.  They have no way to take care of themselves during this time because the products we are used to in the US aren't available and are too expensive.  Because of that...they don't get to stay at school and can't attend, those that are working can't go to work and miss out on that income.  The good news is...we can help them!  We can make items that will help them stay at school and at work so they don't have to miss any days.  We saw a sample bag that is just like what the girls would receive...it includes several flannel square pieces, some with clips and snaps, soap, washcloth and it is all included in a bag that the girls can use.  We will be having a special Pi/Pa service day coming up soon that is just for this service project...so let your daughter know that our AHG troop is helping them.  We have already collected many items of flannel for this project and bars of soap to send too.

Session 3:

This was the moment where all the girls had a chance to do something for someone else.  We talked about three different things in this session:

just a few of the notes AHG girls wrote
for the Service Opp board

1. Notes for Others.  All the girls had the opportunity to write a note, draw a picture and tape it on a piece of candy or bag of food.  These notes and food items are going to be given to girls in our community that are part of various organizations that are serving girls that are similar ages to the girls in our AHG troop.  We will also be sharing some with the volunteers of those organization as a way to say "thanks for helping these girls".  Some of the groups that we will be providing the notes to are:  Teen MOPS teens (teens who are pregnant and/or are moms), Teen MOPS childcare (the childcare portion of the Teen MOPS ministry), Next Chapter Ministries (there are groups that work with elementary and high schoolers that are at-risk or come from crime prone families and situations.  Bible studies are done, trips with the kids and relationship building to help the kids know that they are loved and they are important.)
2. Operation Christmas Child.  Many of our AHG families know about OCC and the impact that it has around the world.  What many families don't know about though is the waiting list that is in these countries with hundreds of names just waiting for their turn to receive a box.  I learned a few weeks ago about this waiting list and how many kids just receive 1 box their entire childhood.  After they receive 1, they go on the waiting list to receive another.  Many grow out of the OCC system before another box is received.  Many families put these boxes together with their own kids...but as our kids get older we often forget that the need is still there.  This year we are challenging our AHG troop to put together at least 1 box if they haven't done one before or 1 more if they usually are part of this ministry already.  We will be collecting these boxes at the next AHG meeting and will see if we can cover the stage with boxes!  Are you interested in more info?  The website for Operation Christmas Child has all the details (link is right here!)...and you can even follow the box that you put together and find out what country your box went to.  
3. AHG Service Opp Board.  What tugs at your heart?  What is making your heart flutter?  Those are the questions that we asked the girls last night.  What is it that you are thinking of that you want to do to help others.  Our goal isn't for the girls to want to just fill out the service log to get that star for their vest...we want them to experience what having a heart for service is all about.  We have very talented and gifted girls and those girls can do some amazing things for others with what they are able to do.  We ended the night by giving the girls a chance to write down their ideas...what they were thinking of...what they were wanting to do.  Some took these pink pieces of paper home with them.  Some filled them out right there on the spot and had huge smiles on their faces.  We will have a board full of pink papers at our next meeting...and each additional meeting...and would love for the girls to write down all of their ideas.  As they implement their service idea...we will put a big star over those pink pieces of paper so we can see as a troop that the idea is being put into action.

Our service night may not have been typical and didn't provide the complete hour of service that we usually have for each girl...but our hope was:  

• that the girls would understand that anyone at any age can do something to help and we are all talented in many different ways.  
• The opportunities are really endless for service...we can participate in something that is already out there that needs help or we can even come up with our own thing.
• that the girls would discover that service is a project from their heart...and that a tug or flutter that they might feel is a good thing.  Service is more than just a to-do list to get a star and we should have that feeling of "I want to..." rather than "I must do so many hours to get 1 star".  It is a heart thing...not a to-do thing.

What's Next?

• Bell Ringing!  Right now we do have ways for families to serve...and one of those includes Ringing Bells with The Salvation Army!  Our date this year is December 7th and times are starting to fill up.  This is a family favorite for many in AHG and is a great way to also start serving with your child.  All the details for this service opp is at this link:  Salvation Army Bell Ringing
• Collecting soap and flannel.  We will continue to collect these items until they are shipped off to the Days for Girls Organization.  Keep bringing those in!  We will also be collecting new washcloths for this organization during the month of December.
• Special Service Day.  Plans are in the works for a Special Service Day for AHG.  We will work on the Days for Girls bags that need to be sewn and the items that go inside.  Depending on the space and availability of volunteers, we will expand this and include other service items so all ages can participate.  We will let AHG families know about this event and the details in December.
• OCC.  Boxes will be collected at the next AHG meeting.  These are a fun activity to do with your child and there are some great videos about OCC on their website that help you and your child understand the impact OCC has overall.  Boxes will not be accepted late...so don't forget! 

Here are some questions that you can ask your child that some had a chance to talk about in their groups:

• ·      What do you think service is?  (remind them that it is not always to just help people…they can help those they know, strangers, animals, our community and world)
•       If Jesus was in Rochester, MN right now, driving on our streets, walking around town, what do you think he would say we should be doing for this town? 
•       Can you think of anyone your age that is helping others with service?
•       What are some of your favorite things to do?  Is there a way you could use the things that you like as a way to help others?
•       What is 1 thing that you haven’t ever done for AHG service that you would like to try this year?  Who would this type of service help?  How would you put this plan in action?

     Thanks!  

     Jessica Williams

     Service Coordinator