Brotherly Love: Eagle Scout Helps Kids
By Ukee Washington
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- An aspiring Eagle Scout goes on a mission to help kids have a better place to study after school.
If you want to talk to Jacques Samaha, you'll have to move fast. He's a busy guy. The Haddonfield Memorial High School sophomore is on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout, and his Eagle Scout project is raising money and coordinating dozens of volunteers to spruce up two floors of Fairview Village United Methodist Church in Camden.
"We're also organizing because this area is really unorganized, as you can see," Jacques said. "There's, like, trash and stuff everywhere."
These rooms are used by Kids Alley, a non-profit that tutors Camden school kids in the afternoon. Annie Powles, director of volunteer resources for Kids Alley, said, "This space has needed a lot of refurbishing, a lot of tender loving care."
Powles says Kids Alley just hasn't had the money to spruce it up. "Donations are down and children are at home, we're afraid in front of the TV, not getting help with their homework, not having mentoring," Powles said.
That's where Jacques stepped in, raising more than a thousand dollars from friends and people at his church to fix up the space. Volunteers from middle and high schools are taking out trash, painting, and putting up new shelves.
"Somehow I think that might just lift all of us up, just a nice, fresh, clean environment," said Powles.
A better place for kids thanks to kids.
Even though this particular project is done, Kids Alley is still accepting donations for its mission.
RELATED LINK: Kids Alley
