LINK's Pantry Entrance Garden Service Project - Soaring Towards Greater Heights

Eshan Agarwal, Eagle Scout

Total Volunteer Hours Worked: 105

My project was the removal of 11 bushes in front of LINK’s pantry. It was also adding topsoil and mulch after we had removed all the plants. Each bush was roughly 3 feet by 3 feet and full of thorny branches and vines. This project helped LINK be able to use the side entrance. This entrance when the bushes were grown caused issues with thorns and ivy. Furthermore LINK did hire some people to remove the bushes but all they did was trimmed the bushes every year which would temporarily solve the problem for them. Therefore, removing the bush permanently helped LINK.

LINK is an organization to provide food to people in need, regardless of their situation. They are completely nonprofit and do not get paid for their services. They are composed of various people from the church community to various volunteers of all ages.

Observations and Challenges

The project was able to be finished in less time due to the volunteers and power tools. The scouts that showed up to my eagle project were older scouts that reguarly went to the gym and this showed with their sheer efficency. Each scout worked at an rapid rate and was able to dig faster than planned. The rain from 2 days ago also softened up the soil so it was not rock hard as planned making the shovels more useful than the pickaxes. Furthermore, the power tool greatly aided the process.

The most challenging part was when an adult fell from the ledge. The spotters did not notice and in one moment he fell down. Without an adult volunteer that knew how to effectively operate the chainsaw was not able to help. The time it took to cut down the other bushes greatly increased as the other adult had to be very cautious when using it. This also increased the cleanup time it took for the adult using the leaf blower after the project.

Changes (from Original Proposal)

After my proposal was approved I took all the changes suggested by the District Eagle Representative. All the changes he suggested were incorporated into my project. The changes he suggested was to remove more bushes, appoint 2 deputies, confirm safety (bathrooms, Miss Utility, Tools, Blood Circle), and finances. His biggest suggestion which greatly aided the project was introducing the idea of using a chainsaw or powered cutting tool that would be operated by an adult.

Leadership

Before the project I had to plan and organize the project. I had to talk to the beneficiary, members of my troops and friends to recruit volunteers, appoint roles to be performed, and requested tools from neighbors and friends. I communicated logistical information to my volunteers as well as the plan for the day. I regularly communicated with the beneficiary and updated him on the status and plan for the project.

The day before the project I had my deputies see the area and understand their roles and priorities throughout the project. I also instructed them on safety as well as how to safely operate a pickaxe and shovel.

On project day I gave a safety briefing to everyone and helped ensure my deputies made sure everyone was focused and motivated. This allowed the project to be completed much faster than normal. I thanked all the volunteers, including my parents and some non scouts that arrived, for their hard work.

The most difficult part about being a leader was motivation. The heat and long hours we were digging did occasionally discourage many people, it was hard to ensure my deputies would be tough on the workers but also not break any friendships they may have had and to prevent people from walking away in frusteration. It was also difficult to estimate the number of people on a certain bush. Different bushes roots were deeper than others. some bushes were easier than others to remove, so constant changes on the number of people on certain bushes was difficult to ask because people wanted to finish the bush they were currently on, not leave it and work on a new one.

The most rewarding part was seeing the smiles and face of success on each volunteer after they ripped a bush out of the ground. It was great to see smiles of the people that were finally able to pull out the bush and happily remove it. I also felt proud knowing how the beneficiary told me that they had tried to ask companies to remove them but only had them trimmed year after year, expunging valuable resources and still causing trouble when they regrew.

I learned the power of delegating leadership to others. This project, if I alone had led everyone, would have proved far more difficult as it would be impossible for me to tell everyone working on different bushes on what to do and how to remove a specific bush properly. I was able to create, communicate and implement a plan to ensure my project was successful and can now apply this to other situations in my life. I also learnt to adapt to harsh circumstances such as the heat by providing rotations of people to keep them hydrated.