To become an Eagle Scout, a scout must earn a dizzying number of badges, work their way through the ranks, and put in many, many hours of community service before, finally, completing a major public service project. And it has to be done before reaching the age of 18. Seventeen year old Jedi Aga just found scouting in September of 2021, which means there's not enough time for him to ever become an Eagle Scout. But just the same, Aga wanted to perform a service project anyhow.
He asked Troop 59 Scoutmaster Rick Dawson if he had any ideas, and that reminded Dawson of something. His youngest son Dustin Dawson, who recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout just ahead of his own 18th birthday, once asked to perform a service project he didn't need to, as well. The idea had been, as the then much younger, younger Dawson had put it at the time, to 'put work boots back to work'.
AGP, where the elder Dawson works as a mechanic, reimburses their workers for a new pair of workboots every year. "But that doesn't mean the old boots get thrown out," Scoutmaster Dawson said, "those boots are very durable – and very expensive! And they have a lot of wear left in them after only a year. So the guys hold on to them as a backup pair, in case something happens to their new boots."
But the younger Dawson thought it was a shame that most of those used boots would just sit in a closet gathering dust, when homeless and unemployed men could use them to get a job, and get on their feet. Especially since all that might be standing between a man in need of a job, and a company in need of that man, was the shoes the man was standing in. He talked to his Dad about it, and the elder Dawson spoke with his employers about it, who allowed him to collect boots at work.
"The guys don't just give up their boots," Scoutmaster Dawson explained, "they ask – 'what's this for'." But, he said, when they learn the boots are intended to help unemployed men get a good job, "they hand them over eagerly, they say 'then please take them'," Dawson noted.
Dustin Dawson first performed the "Putting Work Boots Back to Work" project years ago. Now he's helping his fellow scout Jedi with a repeat of the project. "We don't just collect boots and give them away," the younger Dawson remarked, "they get thoroughly cleaned, buffed, new laces, minor repairs as needed." "They make them as close to new as they can," Scoutmaster Dawson observed. "It's a lot of work, but it's really worth it," said Aga, showing off several pairs of the fixed up boots with pride.
Last Thursday, the Trio delivered the first of several planned batches of refurbished boots to the Beacon of Hope men's shelter in Fort Dodge. While there, they served a meal prepared by shelter Director Brian Bidleman to the residents, and joined them for the meal. After which they attended a worship service in the center chapel, and presented the boots to the residents.
"These are better than new," one resident exclaimed happily. "They're nice like they're new, but they're already broken in!"
The scouts are hoping the boots will be the break at least one of the recipients need to get back on their feet. "If just one guy manages to get a good job, to improve his situation, or to get out of the shelter, because he has a good pair of boots, then this worked," Scoutmaster Dawson said. "That's what success looks like,"
