This last Saturday saw the completion of an exciting Eagle Scout Project for troop 574. Gavin K organized the Boy Scouts at Eastside Church in Kirkland, Washington – the church which hosts the troop – to complete the church's first ever roadside miniature food pantry.
"Gavin's help in planning, building, and installing a free food pantry completed a desire of ours for the past 18 months," said Ryan Porter, pastor of Eastside Church. "Prior to and during COVID, we became acutely aware of food insecurity in this neighborhood. While largely invisible, we knew families were hurting and hungry."
Boy scouts must complete a meaningful service project as part of their qualifications for the coveted rank of Eagle. This often involves overseeing the construction of a small and permanent structure that serves a local community. This free food pantry required Gavin to work with the church and to learn how to use a variety of tools to complete the carpentry. And then he had to organize a host of scouts to dig a post-hole and lay cement.
Much like "Little Lending Libraries" one sees when out for a walk, a free food pantry is stocked by local residents so that neighbours in need can take from it.
"With this free food pantry, we are able to provide non-perishable food for anyone who stops by 24/7," added Pastor Porter. "And while we are using donations to stock the pantry initially, we are excited to include the neighborhood in this effort."
Gavin noted that he learned a lot from this project, including how to work with adults to deliver a well-defined product within a given schedule and budget. "It was really nice to be able to give back to the church that has been our troop home all these years," said Gavin. "And knowing that this project will be helping the community long after I'm gone from the troop is a real blessing", he added.
"Gavin was a pleasure to work with throughout his eagle project and organized what appeared to be a large event to both help us meet an immediate need in the community", added Pastor Porter.
