American Heritage Girls (AHG) is "building women of integrity" by pouring into girls 5 to 18 years of age, says its website. Five different program levels speak to that wide age range: Pathfinder (ages 5-6), Tenderheart (6-9), Explorer (9-12), Pioneer (12-14), and Patriot (14-18).
Patti Garibay explained during a recent radio appearance that she co-founded the Christian-based organization after the Girl Scouts kicked God out of the picture.
"As a matter of fact, I had served with the Girl Scouts for 12 years as a volunteer – and as a Christian mom, I came to a moral crossroads in 1993 when they no longer thought it was important to keep God in the Girl Scout Promise," she told an American Family Radio audience on Monday. "And that's where I had that What am I going to do? kind of thing."
Once God and biblical teaching are cast aside, says Garibay, God's values and truths are booted as well.
"We started [American Heritage Girls] in 1995 and we have 1,400 churches across the U.S. that are using this program as their ministry outreach tool," she shared. "We're very excited to see how God continues to bless this work … and we are seeing an exceptional growth."
AHG boasts troops in all 50 states and 15 different countries. In addition to the troops, thousands of volunteers help the girls to grow in their faith and nurture it as they go out into the world as adults.
Garibay's book Why Curse the Darkness When You Can Light a Candle? documents her God-led journey as a young wife and mother who chose to fight against what she saw as an agenda by organizations and schools to "poison the minds of young girls" across America. In addition, her "Raising Godly Girls Minute" airs on more than 900 Christian radio stations across the U.S.
