September 3, 2003
Scout project shows caring attitude
Jeremy Litwiller makes care packages for 30 senior citizens
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Jeremy Litwiller has won a legion of fans in the county thanks to his Eagle Scout project.
The 10th grade student at Traverse City Central High School recently created and delivered care packages to 30 area senior citizens. Working with the Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging, other troop members and his scout leader, Brian Terhune, Litwiller spread his caring around the community.
Litwiller, a member of Troop 28 based at The Presbyterian Church, chose to create care packages after hearing about the idea from his grandma. She told him that her former church downstate delivered much welcomed packages of personal care items to seniors for Valentine's Day.
Litwiller decided to adapt this idea for his Eagle Scout project and contacted the Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging.
"I knew that seniors can't always afford these personal items, such as toiletries, toothbrushes and toothpaste, because they are on a limited budget and have to pay for medicine," said Litwiller, who has been involved in scouting for five years. "They were so excited to see somebody coming with the packages."
He and some fellow Scouts personally delivered the packages, in uniform, to the chosen recipients.
"It was just like Santa Claus, it was so nice and I shared it with other neighbors," said Ethel May of Traverse City, a proud 97 years old who was thrilled with her package. "It was very unexpected and he really does remember old people in the home."
Another recipient, Jerome Valade, said seniors often go unnoticed by the community so he very much appreciated his care basket.
"I'll tell you, I'm over 80 and that's the nicest thing that could have been done for me," Valade said. "I'm legally blind and all these things he brought, older people appreciate things like that."
Following through on his commitment is what impressed Michelle Rogers, an office clerk at the Commission on Aging who helped Litwiller find recipients for this care packages.
"Sometimes you do all the work [of gathering names and getting approval] and then things don't always go through," said Rogers. "But Jeremy was wonderful and he completely came through. He did a remarkable job."
On Tuesday morning, Litwiller received a certificate of acknowledgment for his efforts from the Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging board. Peter DiMercurio, board chairman, compared Litwiller to Jack Armstrong, an all-American boy from the era of early radio.
"Jeremy's reached out to the community and helped people in need," said DiMercurio. "He put this together with really limited input from us."
Litwiller is one of eight Boy Scouts in Troop 28 who are going for their Eagle Scout rank. This rank requires that the Scouts complete a community project, present it to their Scout community and acquire some additional badges. Although they must receive approval from their leader for their project, once that is given they are in charge from there.
Completing the community project also involves enrolling others to help, such as area businesses, organizations, fellow Scouts and troop leaders. This leadership experience is an integral part of the Eagle Scout experience.
"I had other troop members help and members of other troops help as well as my family," said Litwiller. "They helped with gathering items, putting the packages together and delivering them."
Troop 28 Leader Terhune attributes the interest in the Eagle Scout rank to the numerous adults in the community who are Eagle Scouts. While only two or three percent of Boy Scouts nationwide achieve Eagle rank, his troop and some others in the area are well beyond that number.
"There are a lot of adults around here who are Eagle Scouts," said Terhune, who has been the troop leader for two years and involved in scouting for nine. "I can't believe the people I meet who are Eagles."