Kent Eagle Scout strives to help his community

David Kelley, 13, didn’t expect his Eagle Scout project to turn into something big.

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.

“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.”

Kelley ended up collecting a few hundred items. He delivered hand-made blankets, diapers and other items to the care center Nov. 15.

“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.”

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.

“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.”

Kelley didn’t receive a warm response from people right away.

“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.”

He went to seven different church congregations and schools around the Kent area.

“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.”

Kelley inspired several church members to get together and sew blankets for PICC.

“I had collected a lot of fabric, people brought their own sewing machines and we just spent an afternoon making blankets,” he said.

Although Kelley earned his badge, his community service efforts aren’t over.

“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.”