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Hygiene for the homeless

MARQUETTE – The focus of the Nov. 16 meeting of Boy Scout Troop 302 wasn’t building a campfire or tying knots. Instead, the Scouts assembled hygiene kits for Room at the Inn, which provides shelter and a warming center for needy area people.

Scout Ian Parkkonen, 12, of Marquette, is coordinating the service project for his troop from St. Michael Parish.

He’s in the second year of this project.

The Scouts took donated toiletries such as soap, toothbrushes and shampoo and put them in the kits.

“I decided to do this because (there are) lots of homeless people, and I wanted to go help them because they need lots of help, and they usually don’t get this help from other people or other charities,” Parkkonen said.

During the first year, he put out boxes for donations, and decided to do that again this year.

This particular service project, he said, goes on once a year when winter approaches and homeless people need lots of assistance during the cold weather.

Ian’s mother, Marcia, said they visited Chicago last summer where they saw homeless people. Ian, she said, was touched by them and wanted to help through St. Michael.

However, the project goes beyond that parish.

“The troop also puts the boxes in various parishes around town,” she said.

Seth Moore, 15, of Marquette, explained to his fellow Scouts the importance of what they were putting together, pointing out needy people need things like shampoo, plus “it would be really annoying if you didn’t have a toothbrush after awhile.”

He also helped the Scouts put the items in their proper categories.

“Hydrating cream…OK, let’s put that as a lotion,” Moore said.

Breath mints even were donated.

“We get a lot of interesting donations sometimes,” Moore said. “More miscellaneous. We just kind of mix these in with, like, extras that we are pretty sure will end up being somewhat helpful.”

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.

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