FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2010
Boy Scout completes Eagle Scout service project at
Talbert House Mt. Airy Center
Curtis Watkins organized a Memorial Day ceremony to honor local veterans
CINCINNATI—Curtis Watkins, an Elder High School junior from Westwood, recently completed his Eagle Scout service project at Talbert House Mt. Airy Center, a shelter that works with homeless men with substance abuse and mental health issues to provide emergency shelter and social services.
Watkins organized a Memorial Day ceremony at Mt. Airy Center. During the May 31 event, the center’s flag poles were dedicated in honor of two local soldiers who fought in World War II: U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Howard L. Gould and U.S. Army Specialist Tech 5 Ralph Foster, who was present for the day’s celebration.
Watkins currently holds the rank of Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 177 that is chartered by St. Catharine of Siena in Westwood. He selected Mt. Airy Center as the location of his Eagle Scout project after learning more about the connection of veteran status and homelessness. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 107,000 veterans were homeless last year.
“I considered several leadership projects, but I was really looking for a project where I could honor military veterans. When I heard that a large percentage of the Mt Airy Center residents were veterans, this seemed to be a good match.”
Fifty-one percent of Mt. Airy Center residents are veterans.
According to the Boy Scouts of America, the Eagle Scout project is a service project helpful to any religious institution, school, or community and should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting. Watkins received official district approval on his proposed project in January. He plans to complete the Eagle Scout application process during the summer.
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Talbert House is a community-wide nonprofit network of social services with 30 proven programs focusing on prevention, assessment, treatment and reintegration. Each year, Talbert House helps 24,000 men, women and children across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky overcome adversity to become healthy and productive citizens through its programs in community corrections, mental health, substance abuse and welfare-to-work.
