SNOHOMISH — Vincent Martinez planned to stand outside Fred Meyer until shoppers donated 100 bars of soap.
Within hours he had gathered nearly 400.
Martinez, 16, made duffel bags full of toiletries and other essentials for children who have lost their homes. He gave the bags to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, so deputies can hand them out when they’re called to difficult situations.
It was part of Martinez’s path to becoming an Eagle Scout. This was one of the final steps. Now, he just needs to send in the paperwork and wait for approval.
He chose this project to bring the community closer to first responders, he said. Martinez’s father and grandfather were police officers in New York City, and his mother was a medic.
He had other ideas, but they became too big for the Snohomish High School student to finish on his own.
It took about a year and a half to complete the care packages.
“A lot of it was procrastination, because I was younger,” he said.
He presented the idea to the sheriff’s office last year. It took him some time to get going, said his mother, Sherry Martinez.
“There was lots of kicking him in the pants,” she said. “When the ball started rolling, the momentum started and he was pretty excited about it.”
He collected the items this spring and took a break when he got a job for the summer. He put the bags together during the past couple of months. They’ve been piled up in the entryway to their house.
Most items were donated as customers were leaving stores. Others came from businesses, such as the Martinez family’s dentist, Bryon Craig in Monroe. He provided a free checkup and teeth cleaning coupon for each bag.
The teen gave the extra supplies to Matthew House and Take the Next Step, which are both in Monroe.
The bundles were made for young people ages 5 to 13. They’ll be given to those who are removed from their homes by the state, or to those who have been through a disaster, such as a fire.
“I’m pretty proud of him,” Sherry Martinez said.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @stephrdavey.
The Daily Herald generally features Eagle Scout achievements in the “Way To Go” section. Send submissions to newstips@herald net.com.
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