BY K. MCSTAY
HERALD DEMOCRAT
These Scouts didn't go to the beach this summer, or spend the days in front of the television. When the Trenton Senior Nutrition and Activities Program temporarily shut down, the Scouts of Troop 159 and their leaders joined together to keep the Meals on Wheels program running.
For 60 days, the troop delivered meals to seniors in the Trenton area, making sure that each received a balanced meal and plenty of conversation.
At a Court of Honors on Tuesday, members of the troop received recognition, including a uniform patch and a Texas State Senate proclamation, for the work they did over the summer. Seniors who received meals from the Scouts were also invited to attend, and Kelley Scott, executive director of Tri-County Senior Nutrition Program, helped to pass out patches to the Scouts. "I feel blessed to see these young men grow into Boy Scouts," she said, as she handed out the "Good Turn for America" patches.
"It's phenomenal," said Alan Lanbright, one of the troop leaders. "That about sums it up. They're learning to serve their community." The boys, ages 11 to 16, helped to deliver meals to homebound residents of the Trenton area, cheering up the seniors and dropping off the meals. "It goes way beyond Scouts," Lanbright said. "Serving the community is a lesson that every one of us needs to learn."
"At first, they didn't know what to do," said Scout Master Dave Hamrick, and the Scouts were "cautious" of the new activity. But, by the end of the first day, he said, the boys were enjoying the work. Soon, the seniors were looking forward to the visits, and requesting time to chat with the Scouts.
"They were all little gentlemen," said Vaudrey Petty, one of the seniors who received meals from the Scouts. "They were God-sent, that's what they were." Petty said that she looked forward to the visits from the boys, and enjoyed speaking with them and seeing "their smiles."
"They were so polite. Every one was respectful," she said.
Arminta Tuck and her husband received meals from the Scouts as well, and likewise enjoyed the company. "They would come in and talk to him like they were family," she said. After her husband's illness progressed, she stopped receiving the meals, though she said that she missed the conversation. "I enjoyed them so much."
Sam Thompson, 13, said that the work gave him a sense of accomplishment. "You get to help those who need it," he said. The troop worked until the end of the summer, when school started and they could no longer work during the day. "It's important to the community," Sam said. He said that working with Meals on Wheels taught him how to listen to senior citizens, and the stories they can tell. The first priority, however, was serving the community, he said.
That refrain was repeated by several other Scouts, who said that the ability to serve the community was the most important aspect of the program. "You help people make it where, otherwise, they might not," Clint Cowan, 12, said. "That way, they don't have to run around town," Ben Parker, 12, added.
Nick Frattarelli, 15, who has been with the Scouts for three years said that, in many aspects, the program was unique. "I've never helped the elderly, " he said. "It was different in a good way." Though he initially had reservations, he said the program ended up teaching him to appreciate seniors, as well as the importance of community service. "The smallest things can have the biggest impact," he said.
Though the Scouts are now in school and can no longer deliver meals daily, Hamrick said that the troop is still looking for ways to help the program. One Scout, he said, organized a food drive in his school, where half of the donations would go to the SNAP center, and the other would go directly to some of the area seniors. Previously, he said, the Scouts donated to a food drive, and they saw need for only that day. "They got to see a need for 60 some days, and they got to fix that need," he said of the delivery service. "They saw people who need something as simple as food."
"They deserve more than those badges," Petty said, after taking her picture with the Scouts. "They're just little angels."
