Eagle Scout Projects
Jared Jamis, Troop 506, built this brick path leading into the garden area of the patio for his Eagle Scout project for the residents at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center Transitional Living Center in Wichita, Kansas. It took 23 volunteers and 150 man hours to complete it in only three days. This path will be available on the Dole VA’s grounds for future Veterans’ enjoyment for years to come and will enable wheelchair bound Veterans to enjoy the garden.
For the past five years, the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center Transitional Living Center in Wichita, Kan., has been implementing an initiative called Cultural Transformation. Essentially the program’s goal is to create a home-like environment for the Veterans who live there. Two focus areas of the Cultural Transformation program, Environment and Family & Community, were addressed through recent Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Projects.
Joan Stadler, facility point of contact for Cultural Transformation, stated, “The Cultural Transformation Team and Resident Council wanted to improve the accessibility for independent use by residents to the outdoor garden and enhance green spaces around the patio area. There was interest also in creating an opportunity for intergenerational interaction among the scouts and the residents.”
Jared Jemis of BSA Troop 506 and Christian May of BSA Troop 515, addressed these objectives when they selected the Dole VA’s TLC as their Eagle Scout Projects. In the BSA organization, the Eagle Scout is the highest award given to a scout prior to his 18th birthday after he has earned merit badges, held various leadership positions and completed an original pre-approved service project which benefits the community. Less than 5% of all BSA scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
Jared and Christian along with their BSA troops enhanced the quality of life and well-being of the Veterans in the Dole VA’s TLC. Furthermore, they helped bridge the gap between generations. The Eagle Scouts saw firsthand the price of freedom as they interacted with the Veterans while completing their projects, and the Veterans were able to reminisce and engage in conversation with the Eagle Scouts while they completed their projects. May stated, "It really gives me a sense of accomplishment to come and provide the birdhouses for the Veterans to enjoy."
The green space projects will be available on the Dole VA’s grounds for future Veterans’ enjoyment for years to come. These projects also created an opportunity for future scouts to help maintain and create other new projects that can benefit our Veterans. Currently, two other local scouts are working with the TLC on completing their Eagle Scout service projects. Keith Andrews, Electrician for the Dole VA, stated “We were very impressed with the quality of work that the scout groups did and how well prepared these young men, Jared and Christian, were in planning, drafting and organizing the completion of their projects.”
Megan Elston, Certified Recreation Therapist, served as the facility contact for the scouts along with Andrews. According to Elston, “The green spaces provide additional recreational therapy services among the TLC Veterans.” Recreation benefits include: a home like environment, providing a unity of space among all TLC Veterans, promote wellness and relaxation, reflection and reminisce therapy, and intergenerational relationships. Observing the Eagle Scout working on his project, a TLC Veteran stated "He will make a great soldier some day."
