Young Eagle Scout Renovates Nun’s Food Pantry, Helping Feed People Experiencing Homelessness
Volunteer work is already one of the most virtuous things someone can do. Giving your time to help those in need, help combat a global issue, or generally support a cause you believe in for no extra pay strengthens the heart and keeps us all humble.
What's even more impressive is going above and beyond in that volunteering, really stepping up and offering even more to those who need it most.
It can be hard to find the time or energy to help others when we still need help ourselves. We must first find our own peace, then we can use that peace for good.
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A New Look
In an inspirational and truly honorable act, a young Boy Scout steps up after he sees a local charity that needs some TLC.
Simon Starnes, only 14 years old, is a Life Scout with Boy Scout Troop 21 in Oklahoma. He was volunteering at a local food bank when he noticed it could use some upgrades. As part of his Eagle Scout project, in which a Scout must demonstrate leadership while doing something that benefits their community, he decided to help spruce up the place a bit and rejuvenate its exterior.
He Noticed A Flaw
The pantry is run by Sister Barbara Joseph Foley, also known as Sister BJ, and it offers free meals on the weekends to people experiencing homelessness in downtown Oklahoma City.
"I went to volunteer there for the Sunday mission, which is making breakfast for the homeless and then handing it out to them. But as I was doing it, I saw the tables were were in bad shape and a lot of them were warped and splintering," Simon said in an interview.
An Important Community Space
He knew that the safe environment in which people get to eat these meals can be just as important as the meals themselves, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
"I kind of wanted to help fix that. I thought that if I built those (tables), it could definitely help make the experience a lot better for them."
Sister BJ was, of course, very on board with the idea. The tables are a big part of the program they run out of that pantry, as it allows her and the other volunteers from her ministry to sit and talk with those in need.
Following A Legacy
Not to mention that it was a Scout working toward being an Eagle Scout that built the original tables, so seeing them be replaced by someone on the exact same path is an extremely heartwarming coincidence.
Another prospective Eagle Scout helped revitalize the garden area the tables sit in, planting flowers, bushes, and other greenery to help make the place feel alive.
Starnes actually reached out to the tables' original builder so he could learn how to make new ones, wanting the new ones to be just like the ones they would replace.
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Endless Support
Once he got all the information he needed, he and his team (which included other Scouts, some extra volunteers, and his own father) got to work. In total, it took them 13 hours to build a whole new fleet of tables for the pantry.
Sister BJ opened the pantry in 2006 when she noticed a lack of available services, meals, and safety for the homeless population in the core of the city. She's been happily working away there ever since and is grateful for all the help she receives.
"All my support all these years have come from private donations, and then, help within the Oklahoma City community and church parishes," she said. "That, in itself, is a good feeling. I love having all of the community support."
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