Submitted photo DAR members help at the local Clothes Closet.

The Pack Horse Ford Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution participated in the DAR Day of Service on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The Chapter volunteered for two projects in Charles Town and included assisting the Jefferson County Community Ministries and Asbury Methodist Church new program, Little Angels Preschool.

The morning began with meeting Executive Director Bob Shefner and Assistant Director John Cloyd of Jefferson County Community Ministries (JCCM) to learn about their program. JCCM is a cooperative ministry of local churches who assist people in need and help clients become more self-sufficient. Emergency support includes a food pantry and clothing closet. The goal is to help clients become more self-sufficient by providing life-skill opportunities for each service received. There are also transitional employment opportunities for clients. Homeless services are provided with eight local churches providing cold weather shelter from Nov. 1 to March 30 and dinners are provided 365 days a year. Community Ministries is changing cultures and developing skills. The program is much like a garden: plant seeds, tend and harvest. Their motto is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”

The Chapter volunteers were eager to help in the clothing closet. This included Chairperson Mary Wood, Dorren Hale, Mary Gageby, Katherine Genung, Regent Kathy Sholl and HODAR Mike Sholl (husband of DAR member). Women’s, men’s and children’s summer clothes were boxed up and winter clothes were put on hangers. It was a good day for a good deed with volunteers completing three weeks’ worth of work in three hours.

On the same day, the DAR Day of Caring involved the newly organized Asbury Methodist Church Little Angles Preschool in Charles Town. The preschool offers Christian based early childhood education for three, four and early five-year olds.

The Henrietta Bedinger Lee Chapter, National Society Children of the American Revolution asked DAR chapters around the state of West Virginia to donate books for schools and libraries. The Pack Horse Ford Chapter donated over 150 books to this project and presented their donation to CAR President Taylor Fritz in September. Now the books have been sorted from donations across the state.

Submitted photo CAR members give books to the Little Angels Preschool.

The Little Angels Preschool accepted over 75 age-appropriate books from CAR to help begin their new library. CAR Chapter members Sam Lake and Caroline Fritz helped distribute books to the Little Angels preschool children. Efforts to coordinate the donation included Little Angels Preschool Director Kate Topping, Pack Horse Ford Chapter Regent Kathy Sholl, Chapter member Tara Fritz and CAR President Taylor Fritz.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descendants from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 183,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations.

Those who would like to learn more about the Pack Horse Ford Chapter, contact Regent Kathy Sholl at 304-876-1250. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.DAR.org.