Salvation Army Bell Ringing Sign-Up starts NOW!

Ring The Bells! with the Salvation Army

We will soon be hearing those bells ringing for The Salvation Army very soon...and we will be part of that fun again this year!

Did you know that an average amount of money that is brought in through the ringing the red kettle bells is over $50/hour?  This money helps residents in our area that are in need.  

Sign-ups have started to pick a time when you can help raise money for The Salvation Army!  Look for the sign-ups at the registration tables at the next meeting or sign up online now.

Here are the details on The Salvation Army Bell Ringing:

• Find a time frame that works for you and your family
• You can sign up as a parent/child (2 people), a parent/child pair or trio (3 people max) or a group that is a maximum of 5 people.  Someone must always be with the AHG child during this event.
• Time to ring bells is 30 minutes.  
• The location that we have is for Hobby Lobby.  This location is in their lobby, between the inside doors and the outside doors.  You won't be standing out in the cold but you may get a little breeze every now and then as the doors open.
• Uniforms should be worn...and bring gloves or a long sleeve shirt/sweat just in case you get a little chilly.

Parents, sign-ups start now...
so if any of these days and times work, please e-mail Jessica at mominmn@gmail.com with what your family would like to do and how many people will be ringing during that time.  We will keep this page updated with the times available and will be as fast as possible with any changes that occur.  We will also have this list available at the meetings in late October/November at the AHG table.

Dates and Times Available:
Saturday, December 6th
         
          Times available in bold

• 9:00- 9:30am  (Kundert - 2)  (Korinek-2)
• 9:30am - 10:00am (Amaya Gatzke & parent - 2)  (Mauck -2)
• 10:00am - 10:30am (Jones Family - 3)  (Thorstenson - 2)
• 10:30am - 11:00am (Stepanek Family - 5)
• 11:00am - 11:30am  (Haselius Family - 5)
• 11:30am - 12:00pm (Kayleigh Olson & Janet Olson- 2)  3 spots left
• 12:00pm - 12:30pm (Lilly & Marsha Gee- 2)  (Rectors -3)
• 12:30pm - 1:00pm (Brinker family -5)
• 1:00pm - 1:30pm  (Mosman -4)
• 1:30pm - 2:00pm (Steph Dickie Family)
• 2:00pm - 2:30pm (Baum -4)
• 2:30pm - 3:00pm (Kayla R. and parent)
• 3:00pm - 3:30pm (Gisi family)
• 3:30pm - 4:00pm (Nelson Family - 2)  (Lydia G. and parent - 2)
• 4:00pm - 4:30pm  (Mary Johnson family)
• 4:30pm - 5:00pm  (Brase Family - 5)

If the date and times our AHG Troop has committed doesn't work for your family there are other times to help out too and are available through The Salvation Army!  It is quick and easy to sign up and is a great way to get your family involved this Christmas season.  You can find out more information here:  Salvation Army Red Kettle Website

Can't help out in person?  The Salvation Army has another way for you to help with The Red Kettle!  An online Red Kettle is available also and bell ringing can be done virtually.  You can work with your child as they tell your family, friends and others in our virtual world that bell ringing has begun and donations can be made online.  For more details on the Virtual Bell Ringing...check out this link:  Virtual Bell Ringing.

Winter Items Needed!...people in our area are in need.

AHG Families...at our last meeting we had a great talk about two words...Think and Do (ask your AHG child what this means if you missed our closing announcements at the last meeting).

This is one of those Do moments...and here is an example:

We have many individuals and families in our area that don't have the money to get the winter items that are needed to stay warm.  If you have a pair of gloves, a scarf, hats, boots, coats...any winter outerwear items that you can spare, consider donating those this weekend to the Fill the Truck event.  Check out the info below from the United Way of Olmsted County.

It's that time of year again! With winter quickly approaching, it's time to start collecting coats and more for the annual Winter OuterWear initiative! This collection provides winter outerwear items to Olmsted County individuals and families who have no other means to get winter outerwear items, and the number of items distributed is based on the number of items collected through our community partnership. We need your help to make this a success!

Fill the Truck

Our annual Fill the Truck event will take place on Friday, October 10 from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, October 11 from 11 am to 3 pm at all three HyVee stores in Rochester. You're invited to bring coats and other winter outerwear items to the truck at each site! THANK YOU Hy-Vee!!

Volunteer

In addition to donations, we need volunteers! Individuals and groups can help out by sorting coats beginning in mid October. All current volunteer opportunities are posted on Get Connected. Additional volunteers will be needed on our distribution days on October 28 and 29.

Collect

Businesses around the community are currently collecting, and you can always bring by your new or gentle used coat to United Way (903 West Center Street, Suite 100). If your business would like to collect, register here. We're always in need of more coats for kids, so keep that mind when you bring in your donation! Financial contributions designated to Winter Outerwear are also welcome. Collection sites include: Boldt, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Church of St. John the Evangelist, Custom Alarm, Community Celebration Church, Costco, Dison’s Cleaners (all sites), Dunlap & Seeger, Edward Jones, Evangel United Methodist Church, Family Service Rochester, First Alliance Credit Union, Folwell Elementary, Heartman Insurance, Hunt’s Silver Lake Drug, Hy-Vee Barlow, Hy-Vee North, Madonna Living Community, McGladrey LLP, Minnwest Bank, Olmsted Medical Center, Peace Church, Rochester Montessori School, Rochester Public Utilities, Smith Schafer & Associates, Super Target North, The Reading Center, Think Mutual Bank, TJ Maxx, United Way of Olmsted County, Volunteers of America-High Pointe Senior Community, Winona State Rochester – SASWR, Y Mentors, Rochester Area Family YMCA

If any of your coats need cleaning, please drop off at any Dison Cleaners! Dison's has 5 convient locations to serve you best - 214 North Brodway, Miracle Mile, 304 Elton Hills Drive, 4120 18th Avenue NW and 102 20th Street SE. Thank you Dison's for all your help!

Please drop off your winter coats and other winter outerwear items by October 17, 2014 to United Way of Olmsted County, 903 West Center Street Gym, Rochester MN  55902.

Distribution

Distribution occurs on Tuesday, October 28 and Wednesday, October 29. An appointment is required and can be made by calling (507) 287-1958.

October Service Info...and a little Q&A

Hi AHG Families!
October is here and our meetings are up and running for the 2014-2015 year.  The girls have so much excitement during the meetings...and the badgework has already started in groups.

This site is to help you stay up to date with what service activities are going on with our troop.  Some of the activities posted have been submitted by you...others are ones that are found throughout our community that you could do as a family...a portion are events that our troop is doing as a whole.  The goal is to provide you with what you need to help your daughter earn the service stars that are required for the level award.

Each month I will provide a flyer at our AHG meeting and it will talk about one troop event that we will be working on for the month.  Here are a few tips for our monthly service opportunities:

• Please take the time to read this with your daughter and see if it is something that you can help with.  
• Record the time spent on this project on your daughters AHG service log.  
• Pray about the service event...for the people that are impacted by what our AHG troop is doing.

Our October flyer had some Q & A's for your daughter and a little activity for you.  We are asking that the girls bring these papers back, all filled out, to the October meetings.  They will need your help in filling out this paper so please set aside 5 to 10 minutes with your child for this activity...and have a computer close by for one part.

Didn't get the flyer?  Additional flyers will be available at the meeting on October 6th or you can find a .jpg of the flyer below.  To print this off, you can right click and save on your computer.  :

Thank you for being part of AHG and giving your daughter the opportunity to make service a part of their AHG experience!

Jessica Williams

AHG National Day of Service - September 20th Volunteer Event

AHG has declared the third Saturday in September as the AHG National Day of Service!

Mark September 20th down and join others from our AHG Troop to serve others in our community!  This is a parent/child or family event and a variety of times are available to help out.

Many people live with diabetes on a daily basis...and that includes some of our very own AHG members.  Volunteer at this event and show your support to those who stand next to you at our AHG meetings.  Our AHG board member, Jessica Williams, will be riding for one of those girls this year and for her dad.

Tour de Cure Rochester, MN Volunteer Information
What:  Volunteer at the Tour de Cure bike ride in Rochester, MN
This is a ride that helps raise money for the American Diabetes Association.  The ride also brings awareness and support to those who live with diabetes on a daily basis.

Who:  Anyone can volunteer!

When:  Saturday, September 20th.  A variety of time slots are available throughout the entire day.

Where:  The ride starts and finishes at the Rochester Area Family Y (by Soldiers Field).  There are volunteer locations in additional places as well that help with the bikers on the bike route.

Why:  The riders have all raised at least $200 just to be part of the ride...but they need YOU to be there for encouragement, pass them a snack, cheer them on and ring those cowbells (they are provided!) so they can go that extra mile.

How to sign up:  The Tour de Cure organization has a website where you can sign up to volunteer.  Follow this link to get more information and see what is available:  http://www.volunteerspot.com/group/7310343262041#!/show

More information:  You can find more information about the Tour de Cure and even sign up to ride at this link:  http://tour.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TC_homepage

If you have any pictures from the event, please e-mail them to mominmn@gmail.com and we will post them on this site!  

Thank you for volunteering!

Flyer with Service Info From First AHG Meeting - Sept 8th

Volunteers Needed for 3 ECHO - fast response needed

Hi AHG Families,

AHG received this message and volunteers are needed to help our first responders in our area.  If you are able to help as an individual or family, please contact Tom directly.  His information is listed at the bottom.  Be sure to record your time on your service log!

3 ECHO is a method of responding to hostile shooting incidents.  Columbine and other shooting incidents provide valuable lessons.  In the past, law enforcement would respond and secure the scene.  When the area was safe, Fire crews would enter and treat victims.  However, time is critical when someone has been shot.  Past experience shows that lives can be saved if victims and be treated quickly and removed to the hospital.  3 ECHO is a response method that gets medical crews to the victims as soon as possible.  This training is highly complex, and requires both classroom and practical exercises for Fire and Police to learn how to respond effectively. 

Volunteers help us by acting as victims who need to be treated and evacuated.  As you can imagine, real people make the training experience better.  If you can help by being a volunteer that would be fantastic.  Below are the dates for training.  Sgt. Faudskar is coordinating volunteers and his contact information is listed below.

Sept 5^th

Sept 6^th

Sept 16^th

Sept 17^th

Sept 27^th

Sgt. Tom Faudskar
Rochester Police Department
TFaudskar@rochestermn.gov

OR Call: 507-328-6897
507-251-3227

September Service Event During Meetings

Days for Girls Update...and a new way to help!

This past AHG year our troop learned more about Days for Girls and also spent some time and resources helping this organization.  Girls...it is hard to imagine what life is like without all the necessities that we have at our fingertips here in the US...but just imagine this...when you know that you need to take a bath or shower, the soap and washcloth just isn't available.  Clean water is not always there either but you are thankful for the water that you do have, even if it is muddy looking.

How can you help this organization...and girls that are just like you?  Read below for more info AND find out what our AHG Troop will be doing in September:

SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE AT AHG MEETINGS!
We know that many of you like to crochet, knit...and that there are LOTS of back to school sales and clearance items going on with washcloths now and very soon.  During our September AHG meetings we will be collecting washcloths.  You either make them or buy them (Target and Walmart have cheap ones for all those going to college!).  We will have a box on the stage where you can put them in...just look for the box.  

HOW ELSE CAN YOU HELP?  Check out this info from Days for Girls...

What's in a kit? Hope. A future. Education. Comfort. Peace of mind. Oh, and washable pads, underwear, soap, a washcloth and Ziploc bags.

I challenge you (no ice bucket required) to make a donation to Days for GirlsTODAY to help put them in first place to win an additional $50,000 to reach every girl and woman in the world with ready feasible access to quality sustainable hygiene & health education by 2022.

https://www.crowdrise.com/DaysforGirls-OperationGirl