Locals gathered for Grillin’ for Girls
BY JOHN BRICE
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — Supporters of the Tallapoosa County Sheriffs Girls Ranch gathered for the eighth annual Grillin for Girls fundraising dinner in the gymnasium at the Valley Sportsplex on Saturday evening of this past week. Presented by the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Jeff Nelson led a group of volunteers who hosted the event and prepared a meal which included ribeye steak, sides and a drink. The Tallapoosa County GirlsRanch is one of four ranches associated with the Alabama Sheriff’s Youth Ranches. It was opened in 1973 by the Alabama Sheriffs Association and is located on a campus that consists of three homes, a chapel, a gym, a pool and a pond. Children at the ranch live in family situations with house parents on working ranches where Christian principles, hard work and responsibility help children grow up strong.
Serving as the featured speaker for the evening was Tallapoosa County Department
of Human Resources Director Teresa Amason who herself was a graduate of the ranch as a child. Amason began by sharing inspirational details of her own life story.
“To give you a little bit about my background, I went into the foster care system when I was eight years old. Went to several homes. Some of those placements might have been for a few weeks, some of them might have been for a few months. Thankfully I ended up when I was thirteen years old at the sheriff’s girls ranch. I came from Huntsville so we were making that drive with my social worker all the way and we got to Camp Hill. We got out to the country at the girls ranch. I said ‘oh my goodness, this is the middle of nowhere.’ It definitely was.”
Adjusting to life on the ranch was a tale that Amason recountedwith warm recollections. “I have to admit, at first I was very fearful because I didn’t know my surroundings. A short time later that fear turned into stability, love and a place that I could call home. At the girls ranch we had to do many chores, we had many responsibilities. Some of those responsibilities involved taking care of my horse that I was able to ride because people had donated horses to the girls ranch. Milking cows, slopping the pigs and gathering the eggs from the chickens.”
Bringing her life journey full circle was a theme that Amason touched on. “I just had so many fond memories like that. I was very close to my house parents. When you were doing those chores and responsibilities it wasn’t to punish you, but it was to instill in you a work ethic. I am proud to say that because of that as an adult I have a very good work ethic and I take it all the way back to my roots at the girls ranch.”
