David Kelley, 13, didn’t expect his Eagle Scout project to turn into something big.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Kent Mountain View Academy seventh-grader was trying to find a project to earn himself an Eagle badge when he stumbled upon a flyer posted by the Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC), a newborn center in Kent providing care for drug-exposed babies.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“I have friends that told me they came out of this clinic, so I really wanted to do all I could to help the business and the babies,” Kelley said. “The flyer mentioned the care center went through budget cuts and couldn’t afford supplies for the newborns, so I decided to try and get as many different supplies as I could.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kelley ended up collecting a few hundred items. He delivered hand-made blankets, diapers and other items to the care center Nov. 15.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“I feel happy that everything came together,” Kelley said. “I can’t believe I was able to get so many people to donate and to be able to give so many items.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It took about a month for Kelley to get started on the Eagles’s leadership service project. His goal was to ask the community for as many items listed on PICC’s wish list as possible.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“At the beginning there was a lot of writing about what I wanted to do and describing it and going to PICC to see if they’d like the project,” Kelley said. “After PICC approved it, I had to plan how I was going to collect everything.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kelley didn’t receive a warm response from people right away.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“I went to many manufacturers and some stores, but none of them wanted to participate,” Kelley said. “So I decided to take my idea to the community.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
He went to seven different church congregations and schools around the Kent area.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“I got such a warm response from those places and over 100 people to donate to the project,” Kelley said. “And most were donating more than one item, which was so helpful.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kelley inspired several church members to get together and sew blankets for PICC.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“I had collected a lot of fabric, people brought their own sewing machines and we just spent an afternoon making blankets,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Although Kelley earned his badge, his community service efforts aren’t over.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“It felt so good to help people and make a difference that I want to encourage other people to give,” he said. “I want to do all I can to make the community aware of PICC and all they do.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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