As part of his required Eagle Scout project, Jared Leist, 13, built a children\u2019s outdoor lending library for the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic. After benefiting from the clinic\u2019s services as a child, he wanted to return the favor.<\/p>\n
The book repository, constructed for the location at Jefferson County Health Center in Arnold, Missouri, is a box designed to provide easy access for those who want to donate books to be used by the clinic, or for those who wish to use the books for speech and language therapy.<\/p>\n
Leist attended the clinic when he was a young child with a speech delay. Following therapy sessions, he achieved communication abilities within the normal range \u2014 a major reason why Leist sought out the clinic for his Eagle Scout service project.<\/p>\n
\u201cJared wanted to give back to the clinic that had helped him and his brother so many years before,\u201d says Jacob Gutshall, director of the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic. \u201cIt is impressive that Jared would be eligible to become an Eagle Scout at such a young age. But, once I met and spoke with him it was obvious that he is a very well-rounded and mature young man who will accomplish anything he sets his mind to.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Leist was working his project, Bob Harman, a Scottish Rite Mason and a representative from the real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield, reached out to the clinic to offer support for the company\u2019s annual service project. Employees participated in a children\u2019s book drive, resulting in a donation of about 250 new books.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe plan to share the books with as many families as possible, including stocking Jared\u2019s lending library,\u201d says Gutshall. \u201cBooks are great because the rich grammar and concepts can be modeled and be revisited each time a book is read. They are also fantastic for shared interaction between a parent and a child to build conversation skills, such as communicating ideas and turn taking.\u201d<\/p>\n
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