Scout helps Salvation Army
By Barbara Arntsen
Published in News on April 13, 2005 1:47 PM
Thanks to a Boy Scout's helping hand, residents of the Salvation Army's homeless shelter won't have to stand out in the rain while they wait for the building to open.
Garrett Smith, 17, chose to build an outdoor shelter for them as his Eagle Scout project.
Smith, a member of Troop 18, said he called Capt. John Leidy, the commanding officer of the Goldsboro Salvation Army, and talked to him about how he could help the organization. Leidy told him about the need for a shelter.
The homeless shelter closes during the day, at which time the residents leave to attend to business or look for work. Sometimes, they return to the shelter before it re-opens in the late afternoon.
Smith said they needed a place out of the weather to wait. An old shelter is dilapidated and will soon be torn down.
Smith is supervising four other Boy Scouts to build the new outdoor shelter. The other scouts from Troop 18 who are helping with the shelter are Chris Williford, 12, Will Barrett, 16, Dusty Price, 11, and Anthony Braswell, 12. The troop is sponsored by the Nahunta Grange.
Smith and his crew have spent about 18 hours working on the shelter, and he estimates it will take about another 18 to 20 hours before they are finished.
To earn the Eagle Scout rank, a boy scout must earn 21 merit badges in a variety of skills, and complete a community-service project that is designed and directed by the Scout himself.