On December 10th, Bronxville Troop 5’s Devavrat “Dev” Tarwala conducted his eagle scout project of renovating the ceiling of the Community Service Associates soup kitchen and office space. With the help of William Neild, Robert Harrison Brown, Owen Anderson, Luke Guszkowski, and his Scoutmaster, Mr. Anderson, they were able to replace the drop ceiling and the harsh fluorescent lightbulbs with new LED ones. He would like to give a special thanks to Mr. Jared Apuzzo for giving him the opportunity.
Dev first got in contact with Mr. Appuzo from CSA soup kitchen in January 2022 and asked if they had any tasks he and his fellow Scout could help out in. They did. One very close to them, not necessarily under their noses but above their heads: the drop ceiling of their kitchen and office space was in desperate need of replacement. When Dev first arrived at the CSA soup kitchen, he was surprised at how badly the drop ceiling panels were beaten up. Some of the panels had water stains or holes, while others were altogether missing chunks. Mr. Appuzo had also mentioned that the light bulbs were in need of replacement. And by looking at how dimly lit the room was, anyone, especially Mr. Appuzo and his fellow volunteers and chefs who work in the space from morning to night, could say such is true.
After figuring out the logistics, Dev determined that around $900 to $1,000 would be needed to buy the materials to complete the project. This gargantuan goal seemed out of reach for him and his fellow scouts. Yet, the community of Yonkers helped achieve this goal. By fundraising outside of the Stop and Shop at Cross County shopping center for six hours, Dev and his fellow scouts were able to raise $1,406.25, all thanks to the generosity of customers and Yonkers and Westchester residents.
With the funds he needed, Dev secured the supplies and materials that would be used to undertake this task. After weeks of planning and preparing, Dev held his eagle scout project on December 10th. After a grueling seven hours of work, the drop ceiling of the CSA soup kitchen looked pristine and immaculate. The boys felt a sense of pride in their achievement. And Dev was able to go to bed that night exhausted beyond what he thought possible, yet happy.
