STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT W. MITCHELL | AFRH-W VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Ditching their famous cookies for something warmer, a team of Girl Scouts stopped by the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. last month donating blankets and smiles.
Scouts from Troop 3859 handed out an assortment of handmade blankets in a variety of colors to residents on their way to and from the Scott Dining Facility. Many were delighted by the heartfelt gesture and enjoyed choosing their favorite blanket.
Donating of the knitted and crocheted blankets to AFRH is part of a larger, worldwide organization called ’67 Blankets’, a South Africa-based organization geared to deliver blankets to people in need around the world, explained Troop Leader Deena Grant.
Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Matters U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Phillip M. Churn accompanied the Girl Scouts
What is great about coming here, is that I was born and raised in Washington, D.C. My father was a 22-year Army veteran, and so this is a great opportunity for me to give back, working in a committed area with the Girl Scouts, this is fantastic.
Churn, who is currently transitioning toward retirement after more than 37 years, paid homage to AFRH residents and the role they played in his own military career.
To come here and say hello and thank you to the veterans, that’s very important to me because these veterans that have paved the way for
our great nation and for me to be where I am today. Thank you for the opportunity to be here, he said.
Churn is the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Matters. He assigned to Fort Belvoir, Va.