When 17-year-old Michael Mealey thought about how he could help his Boulder County community during the coronavirus pandemic, he decided to go back to the basics.
As part of an Eagle Scout project, Mealey created 200 care kits that he donated to the OUR Center. Wrapped in a canvas bag, the kits contain basic care items, including water, snacks, hand sanitizer, gloves and toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap.
Mealey is a Niwot High School student and has been in the Scouts for about 11 years. He said he hoped that his latest project served as a reminder about the importance of giving back to the community.
“I just want the message to be that there are people that care,” Mealey said. “Even during COVID, you can still do things to give back to your community. It might be tough, and it is tough, but there are definitely still ways you can help others around you.”
After buying some bulk supplies online and at local grocery stores, Mealey rallied about 20 fellow Scouts and their families into putting the kits together from the safety of their own homes. He dropped off supplies on their doorstep and wrote a set of instructions for them to follow to assemble the kits.
Marc Cowell, executive director of the OUR Center, said the nonprofit plans to begin distributing the kits at the end of December.
“These kits are terrific and contain a lot of items we normally do not have to distribute, such as gloves, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes and toothbrush cases,” Cowell said. “We are very grateful for Michael’s hard work and trusting the OUR Center to get these to individuals and families who could benefit the most from these kits.”
Mealey said the majority of the funds spent on the project came from his late grandma, Suzanne Richards, who saved money to dedicate to her grandson’s Eagle Scout projects. Richards passed away in 2011, while the family had been living in Virginia. Mealey said if there’s anything his grandma would have wanted to spend money on, it would be helping others.
“She was a nurse before she retired and she was a kind woman,” Mealey said. “She was the kind of woman who wanted to do the best for the world — that was my grandmother.”
The OUR Center, 220 Collyer St., is a nonprofit that provides food, housing and utility resources to families in the St. Vrain Valley School District, with the goal of helping them achieve self-reliance, according to the OUR Center’s website. In October, the nonprofit reported that throughout the pandemic there’s been a 300% increase in need.
Cowell praised Mealey’s efforts and for recognizing that so many in the community are struggling during this time.
“These kits are truly amazing and in the spirit of a Boy Scout to be prepared for all circumstance,” Cowell said. “It is evident Michael put a lot of thought into everything that went into these kits. I know that participants will find tremendous value in these kits.”
To help OUR Center:
People can donate money online or visit the OUR Center’s website at, ourcenter.org/, to see a list of needed donations.
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