Eamon Garton of Scout Troop 20 is working to achieve the highest rank in scouts: the Eagle Scout. While the title itself is an honor, his goal is to embody its meaning and the obligations it carries.
Eagle Rank “testifies that a Scout has an understanding of his community and his nation, and a willingness to become involved.” Earned by less than 2% of young men in scouting, it’s a pledge to fulfill obligations of Honor, Loyalty, Courage, Responsibility, and Service.
Becoming an Eagle Scout means a mission to give back to the community. To demonstrate his motivation, Eamon has taken on a project to help refugees and immigrants in the Quad Cities. When he learned that proper storage for donations and fresh food given to refugee and immigrant families is a huge priority, he made plans to install hand-built shelving and a large refrigeration unit.
The first step was fundraising. Eamon “sent letters to [his] family, friends, troop, and neighbors,” created a GoFundMe, and reached out to local hardware stores about unsellable lumber. In just a few weeks, he raised $2500.
Then, on Saturday, July 17th, Eamon and his troop took over our office to paint and install five rolling shelving units they had built by hand. And they didn’t stop there – they spent the rest of the day cleaning our office and organizing donations. Now, we have the space to accommodate extra items for families with specific needs.
Eamon, you have the qualities of an Eagle Scout and more. From our staff, volunteers, and families: thank you Eamon and Scout Troop 20!
Eamon is still seeking a refrigeration unit to finish his project and his GoFundMe is open for donations.
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Written by Erica Parrigin