Thanks

On June the 8th, I will attend an Eagle Board of Review.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way, and everyone who donated my project.

Patches

They just came in a couple of weeks ago. Like them?

Thank you Chic-fil-a!

I would like to thank Mr. Doug Mickey of the Chic-fil-a Dwarf House, and Mr. Doug Barnett of Chic-fil-a Towne Center for the coupon donations. These donations will be used to treat the volunteers of this project. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Who has Helped

The following people have helped my project by donating:

• Mrs. Mary Fible
• Mrs. Harshana Patel
• Mr. Bob Johnson
• Mrs. Glenna Ross
• Mr. Lloyd Ross
• Dr. Laura Durham
• Mrs. Pam Wallace
• Mr. Zac Bender
• The Harris Family
• The Flohr Family
• The Tyburski Family
• Mrs. Anju Patel
• The Paugh Family
• Mr. Donny Wall
• Dr. Julian White
• Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Romano

Thanks to everybody who is helping support my project.

Top 10 Needs

These are the most needed food donation items (as presented on the Fayette Samaritans website):

Apple juice
Canned meats: tuna, chicken, salmon, beef stew, sloppy joe, spaghetti
Fruit juice
Jelliies & jams
Canned fruits
Diapers (sizes 4,5 & 6)
Cans or jars of spaghetti sauce
Feminine products
Toiletries & Toilet paper
Detergent & hand soap

Anything you can donate is very much appreciated!

Donations

The cost of my project is more than I have (about 1,000 dollars), so... if anyone would like to donate funds to my project, please contact me via e-mail (raulrojas@bellsouth.net).

Also, I will gladly accept donations of food and clothing. Please e-mail me.

Thanks for all your help!

Ricky

Why - My Idea for "Summer Harvest for Hope"

The idea for this service project came about after talking to Mr. Gerald Sudduth of the Fayette Samaritans back in February, 2009. He said that the need for donations requested from this organization had increased by 30% ever since the economy had declined. He also said that they receive may food drives during the autumn, spring, and winter, but not many during the summer, a time when the need for help is highest.

After a little research, I decided that I wanted to do a service project that would mean a lot to a lot of people, and this is why I chose to do this project.

My goals for this project are: 1) to collect 10,000 non-perishable food items on this one date; 2) collect clothing items that will help stock the clothing shelves; 3) make this an annual event, and 4) do the best I can with what I have. I also hope raise awareness for these two "hero organizations" in the Fayette County community.

I hope to announce the drive through local newspapers and radio stations. If you have any contacts for newspapers or radio stations, please e-mail me at raulrojas@bellsouth.net.

Who are the Fayette Samaritans and the Real Life Center?

The Fayette Samaritans is a non-profit christian ministry that serves those in need in Fayette County. They provide temporary support in the means of food, clothing and financial support for selective emergency needs. Support for this agency comes from several churches, and local citizens. Office expenses do not exceed .06 percent for this organization, as it is run by several volunteers.

The Real Life Center is also a non-profit and helps provide citizens in need by offering several assistance programs. Some of the programs offered are: general assessment counseling, financial counseling, financial assistance of selective emergency needs, mentoring, food donations or food pantry, daily bread (weekly distribution of bread and pastries), clothing assistance, auto repairs, donations of furniture and household items, career help, and networking and referral services. It is run by several staff members and volunteers that are vital to the organization.

Both organizations fill a special need in Fayette County, and I am glad they are here to help. As well, in the past, these two groups have been beneficiaries of the Boy Scout "Scouting for Food" drives.

What - I need your Troop's help...

I need Boy Scout troops to help me man the collection points. I plan to have these points opened from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. These eight hours will qualify as service hours! For the project, I will provide water, snacks, a script of what to say at the collection point, and a letter to each boy certifying the service hours. All the scouts need to do is collect the food and clothing! I am also planning a special "thank you" for all who help me with my project.

Four troops have signed up to help, but I could still use about 8 more troops. Please e-mail me at raulrojas@bellsouth.net if you or your troop can help.

Thanks to the following Troops that have offered their help:

71, 74, 76, 118, 172, 201, and 279. Without your commitment, we could not make this a reality. A big thank you to you!

Contacts

If anybody out there knows any contacts of help please comment. I am looking for donations for bottled water and snacks for my volunteers.