By Addison Curran
We’ve all seen Girl Scouts selling their cookies outside of Kroger and Boy Scouts completing community service projects in Pickens. These are valuable scouting groups that have existed for decades.
Another, less-known organization is American Heritage Girls. Founded in 1995, this Christian-based program focuses on forming young women of integrity through loving God, honoring family, and serving in their community. AHG, that adopts the denomination of its charter.
The program is designed to build character and teach both fun and essential skills such as cooking, archery, horseback riding, sewing, survival, search and rescue. Each American Heritage Girls Troop adopts the Christian denomination of its charter, typically a church.
Pickens County currently has two active troops. The first, American Heritage Girls Troop GA1908, was chartered in September of 2019 at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church. Just as it started, the global pandemic hit in March of 2020.
Fortunately, in the fall, the pastor recognized the need for community to ensure the mental well-being of the girls and their families. The troop resumed meeting in August of 2020 and has been flourishing ever since. Pickens welcomed its second American Heritage Girls Troop GA1227 at King of Kings Lutheran Church in August of 2023.
Both troops have contributed to Pickens County through various community service projects. Past projects have included hosting diaper and wipe drives for The Pregnancy Center, handing out Christmas and Valentine’s Day cards at Rock Creek Manor, Christmas caroling at The Lodge at Stephen’s Lake, and raising money for and laying wreaths at the Georgia National Cemetery for Wreaths Across America.
Service projects are integral to American Heritage Girls and reflect a Christlike spirit of community. American Heritage Girls has been a major source of faith and fun for Pickens County girls.
For more information, please visit https://americanheritagegirls.org/.
