Greetings ‘Ghany Girls (and Guys)!
I can hardly believe it’s May. Such exciting times are right around the corner, and we’ll be on the banks of the Greenbrier River in just a little over a month!
But before we arrive, I’d like to announce the ‘Ghany We Will Give (GWWG) campaign for this summer.
GWWG, Year Four
For those of you who don’t know, ‘Ghany We Will Give is a way for campers, counselors and alumni to give back to the Greenbrier County community for their many years of hospitality.
Last year, we partnered with Snacks in Packs by collecting pre-packaged food for over 800 local students. By partnering with this important cause, our girls helped ensure that children in the surrounding areas did not go hungry during this past school year.
Now, for GWWG’s fourth year, we’re honored to be working with the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation — the group who also manages our Lantern Scholarship donations — on a project that will allow our girls to directly help girls at Western Greenbrier Middle School and Greenbrier West High School. There are many girls who attend these schools who are unable to afford feminine hygiene products, something most of us take for granted on a day-to-day basis.
Let’s Be “All In!”
Our hope is that every camper will bring something to donate as they enter camp on Opening Day.
Similarly, it is our hope to engage the entire ‘Ghany community in this effort.
We ask that all counselors pack a little something to give to the project, too. Modeling generosity, thoughtfulness, and care for the campers is a key aspect of your role in helping to fulfill our mission as a camp and specifically when guiding our campers.
And finally, any alum who might be in attendance at LOL Weekend, as a Mini Camp Counselor, or coming by camp for drop off/pick up or any of our performance events (Drama and Dance), are warmly invited to participate as well. Participants from afar can send donations by mail to the summer address: Camp Alleghany, P.O. Box 86, Lewisburg, WV 24901.
Please use the following list as a guide when choosing your feminine hygiene item(s):
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- Tampons*
- Sanitary napkins/pads/panty liners*
- Deodorant
- Hairbrushes/Hair Bands etc.
- Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Tissue Packs
Changing Seasons, Changing Needs
As a native of Lewisburg, there is nowhere I love more than home. So you can imagine that it has been devastating to witness the damage that occurred from the thousand year flood last June. Some of you might be wondering why we’re not focusing our efforts this year on flood relief.
In talking with different organizations in the area, we’ve been informed that many flood victims and projects are thankfully being supported heavily by larger corporations and government funding at this time (but have been informed that flood relief may be needed again in years to come when the larger funding diminishes).
During these talks we also learned that there are other unmet needs that might be a good fit for ‘Ghany We Will Give. So after lots of thought, we’ve decided to help in this different way with a different group in need this summer.
An Unspoken Need
Though we may not always realize it, for many, feminine products are really a luxury item and not necessarily accessible to everyone.**
Greenbrier County has a high percentage of students on free and reduced lunch, but meals aren’t the only thing they need. Any buffer that can provide these necessities and luxuries will offer dignity and respect to girls at a critical time in their adolescence and also help save money for other needs in the family such as clothing, transportation, and housing.
And we certainly like the fact that this is “girls helping girls.”
Thank you in advance for your support. Please e-mail me should you have questions about the program.
With much gratitude,
— Laura K. Gorsuch, Alum and ‘Ghany We Will Give Chair, Camp Alleghany for Girls
*These items are in greatest demand but all items are welcomed based on what is age-appropriate and otherwise comfortable for you.
** To read more about this topic and the worldwide need for help with women’s and girls’ sanitary products here are some resources:
Laura Gorsuch
Laura K. Gorsuch, native of Lewisburg, WV, lives in Richmond, VA with her husband, Matt, and sons, John and Thomas. She was a 'Ghany camper and counselor from 1994-2005, and has been back at camp since 2010 in various support staff roles. She works as a Professional School Counselor at St. Catherine's School, and has loved spending her summers back on the banks of the Greenbrier River. Go Grays!
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