Alex in the Newspaper

A woman at church asked if she could write an article about Alex's eagle project and submit it to the local newspaper.  Of course, he was excited to have an article published on his project.  Here is the link for the article that was published, and below are the interview questions Alex answered for the article. 

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011108050341

Alex Bass Interview

Hello, Alex. My name is Mitzie Thompson and I’ve been asked to interview you for an article about your recent food drive. Please answer the following questions and I will be able to compile a story.

1. What is your full name? How long have you been participating in Scouts?

My full name is Alex Corey Bass and I’ve been in scouts for around 8 years

2. What are both of your parents’ names?

My Mom’s name is Rozanne Bass and my dad’s is Eric Bass

3. Does your food drive project have a name? If so, please tell me what it is.

I decided to choose a name awhile back that was simple and to the point. I’ve called my Project Alex’s Community Food Drive.

4. Why did you decide to do a food drive for your Eagle Scout project?

My eagle project hours first started was when I was trying to research what would be the eagle project best for me. I have always have had a special compassion for the hungry and homeless and after meeting the loaves and fishes supervisor I knew it was the right one for me. Their past food drive had fallen substantially short from what they usually receive. I found this a Major reason in my decision.

As soon as I first came across the idea I knew it was the right one for me.

5. What were the requirements for your Eagle Scout project? What kind of criteria did you have to meet when deciding on a project?

The eagle scout criteria was fairly open; although, there were several limitations. The basic requirement is: while a life scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service requirement to your community. A few of the limitations
were the project may not be performed for a business or an individual, routine labor should not be considered, and project may not be of commercial nature.

6. How did you organize the food drive? (Flyers, sign-up sheets, networking with church members, etc.) If you had assistance, who helped you with these types of things?

First of all, I made a list of all the things that I needed to organize and complete in order for my project to run smoothly. Then, I would set a side a few hours each day to write out papers on the paper or to contemplate on my tasks. All my
supplies and materials were donated from various stores such as Walmart, Food Lion, Kroger, and Copies in a Flash. I set a date and slowly worked towards it. I began early by informing different groups by sending out information and sign-up sheets. After I had gotten everything organized, It was just a matter of learning from the project set before me.

7. How many volunteers were you able to recruit from the beginning to the end of the project?

There were over 40 people who helped at some point during the project. 15 people were there from beginning to end of both days. I am very grateful for their service and sacrifice for me and my project.

8. How many project hours did you and volunteers log?

I am still trying to calculate all the hours but I would say its around 250 hours

9. How much food were you able to collect?

We were able to collect about 3000 items of food so in other words nearly $6000 worth of food. This was a great reward of my hard work put into the project. It helped me feel a sense of accomplishment that I had made this world a better

10. What organization(s) was the recipient of your collected food? How did they respond to your donation? (Were they overwhelmed, appreciative, etc.?)

All the food collected was delivered to the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank/Soup Kitchen. The lady I met at the food bank seemed hassled and overwhelmed by the food I brought which confused me at first. They weren't expecting nearly as much and didn't have help to organize and shelve it.  However, the supervisor of the food bank was greatly appreciative of all the food.

11. Was it hard work? Was it rewarding work? Explain.

When I first knew I was going to do a food drive, I had no idea of what I was in for. I tried the best I could to accomplish my project as much as possible which meant exerting a significant amount of my time effort and will power. When I turned in the food and watched their kitchen and warehouse fill up, I thought of all the people I had provided a meal for which was a great accomplishment in my eyes. I saw this project as very rewarding for me and those benefitting from it.

12. If you had it to do all over again, would you still choose a food drive as your eagle project?

Absolutely, The food drive has taught me so much about everyday skills people need. It has helped me build a brighter future and I would never trade it for any other project.

13. What was the strangest experience you had when interacting with the public?

I did have an experience when I knocked on someone’s door and he told me how inconsiderate I was for going door to door and told how I needed to "rethink my life". This bothered me for a bit but I got over it soon enough. There is always
some people who don’t agree with whatever your doing whether it is a good or not.

14. What was the most rewarding part of the project for you personally?

As I went throughout the project, I strongly believe that my character developed immensely. It helped me set reasonable goals for my future and it opened my eyes to a lot of things I hadn’t realized before.

15. Do you feel as though the project changed you in any way? If so, what changed– for instance, do you have a different opinion, or outlook, about feeding the less fortunate in our area? Did you know there was such a demand for food by those less fortunate before your food drive? Do you feel as though your experience changed you?

When I first started my project I just wanted to just get it done to get my eagle.The food drive sounded like a good project and I knew it was the right one, but I didn’t really care about anything else except my project and my eagle scout
rank. As I went throughout the project, I realized it isn’t just about me. I realized the more important part was the people I had helped by doing this to survive. By the end of the project I wasn’t doing it for me anymore I was doing it for the people in need of my help. This was a great eye opener to me. When I get older, I definitely don’t want to become a self-centered person. I want to always have charity and service within so that I might be able to help whoever is in need. This
project has helped me realized just that.

I would like thank all those who helped in anyway possible whether it was donating their time and service for this cause or helping donate food. Both I and the homeless community of Clarksville owe you great appreciation. Thank you.