Closet cleaning

By Staff
Belgreen freshman wins service award
Kim West
BELGREEN – A project to provide a community closet has yielded more than 20 tubs full of donated kid's and adult clothing.
Belgreen High School ninth grader Tyler Blevins was notified last week that he had won the President's Volunteer Service Award for his work on the project.
The award, which recognizes middle school and high school students in the U.S. who have volunteered a specific amount of their time to serve their communities and their country, is part of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Award recipients who are 15 or older must volunteer at least 100 hours, which Blevins accumulated by building closet shelves and collecting clothes as part of an Eagle Scout project spearheaded by his older brother Nicholas, a Belgreen graduate in his second year as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy.
"Mrs. (Nikki) Tutich first told me about the award, so I filled out the application online," said Blevins, who is a Star member of Troop 39 and one level away from achieving Eagle Scout. "To apply, you had to have a volunteer project that helped the community. The project I listed was my brother's Eagle Scout project because that's the project I've worked the most (hours).
"For the clothes closet, we had to build shelves and put in cedar panels so pest wouldn't get in there with the clothes."
The Prudential awards are given on behalf of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, which was started by former President George W. Bush in January 2003 to recognize contributions to community service.
After completing an online application last fall, Blevins, 15, has also been selected to represent the school as a Local Honoree in the state judging for the Prudential State Honoree and Distinguished Finalists awards, which were given to six Alabama students last year. State Honorees receive a $1,000 cash award and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C.
"I had actually applied for a scholarship, but I didn't win that," said Blevins, who is a member of Jr. Beta Club, Sr. Scholars Bowl and the Belgreen United Methodist Church youth group. "But I was really surprised to win the (volunteer) award. "Maybe it will encourage other people to volunteer.
"I think community service is basically helping out by giving your time, and I think most people do want to help."