Published in AustinFamily magazine, April 2004.Written by MonicaJendrzey, Austin Family magazine's editor.

Copyright 2004 by Austin Family. Reproduced here with permission.

In our hurried, often self-focused culture, apathy can stand in the way of community service. Fortunately, that's not true for all. A hard working Austin teen proves that kids can get involved and lead the community to support a common goal.

Every summer since he was nine, 13-year-old Joseph O'Hara could be found swimming laps with the Redfish swim team at Ramsey Pool near his home in northwest Austin. An active Boy Scout since the first grade, O'Hara advanced through the ranks of the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs, eventually earning the rank of a Life Scout. Last summer, this eighth grade magnet student at Kealing Junior High was ready to tackle the greatest Boy Scout challenge at an age younger than most do: complete his Eagle Scout community service project.

Volunteering in the community was not new to O'Hara. For years, his family served meals each month to homeless youth through a program affiliated with their church. And as a scout he was required to do community service projects on a regular basis.

For his project, he wanted to give back to the community in a way that was personal to him. The Ramsey Park swimming pool where he spent so many childhood summers lacked sufficient seating and tables. O'Hara was determined to plan an initiative that would improve it. He didn't realize at the time the amount of donations and volunteer support from neighbors, friends, and community leaders would more than double what was needed to meet his goal.

It all started when O'Hara introduced himself in a letter that was printed in a couple of local neighborhood association newsletters. He sent letters to families of fellow swimming team members and to local businesses. In the annual neighborhood meeting, he set up an information table. He confidently described his plan to outfit the park with two tables and three benches.

"I thought the challenge was going to be raising the money," O'Hara reflected. "I thought, "I have big plans for this projectÉ so I'll need $2,000 or $3,000.'"

In October, he won a grant for $405 from the Austin Parks Foundation to help pay for part of the project. Jean Crow, programs manager of the Foundation, said the committee was swayed by his ability to present the information. "His plans were well-defined, including the budget," she said.

O'Hara exemplifies the kind of grant recipient the Foundation hopes to attract in the future. "He put a lot of thought in how this would benefit users of the park," Crow said. She added that she was impressed by his work and leadership abilities. Many adults involved in the project expressed that same sentiment about the teen.

To raise more money, O'Hara joined his grandmother, uncles, aunts, parents, sister, and other Boy Scouts to make tamales to sell the weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday. Over 100 dozen tamales were sold at $7 per dozen to his neighbors and friends.

Word about his project started to spread. Donations started pouring in. Local businesses wanted to help. Volunteers signed up. "At first I had $1,000 and I thought, "Oh, great start!' And then $2,000 -- and then $3,000," O'Hare said enthusiastically. It kept coming. "Before I knew it, I had checks rolling in." At last count, he has received 158 separate donations, totaling over $6,700.

At a time when our city's park budgets are getting cut, visitors to Ramsey Park can now find four new tables and three benches–double the number as originally planned. The extra money O'Hara received also provided for the purchase and planting of two oak trees. All of this because an optimistic teen's hard work paid off.

Rosedale neighborhood co-president Jeff Archer pointed out that the project went smoothly and quickly. He added, "As soon as Joseph proposed the project, Rosedale neighbors who used the pool regularly were falling over each other to help out."

"The initiative came from a teenager. It was interesting to see the adults fall in line behind a teenage leader on a community project. We have a lot of adults in Rosedale who don't have children and they liked the idea of working with a child. It made it more fun for them," Archer observed.

"He's amazing," Rosedale neighborhood resident Robbin Polter said of O'Hara. She continued, "We call him our "neighborhood hero'. So many of us talk about making these changes, but there's not always action." Although the neighborhood has raised money in the past for additions to the park, Polter said, "Joseph took the extra step to find out what the neighbors wanted. To me, he went beyond completing his Eagle Scout project."

O'Hara planned separate phases to complete the project. The first phase was to generate funds and make the public aware of plan. The second and third phases both involved getting actual volunteers to plant the trees and install the tables and benches, while continually seeking support and feedback from the residents. Polter added, "He made sure that everyone was in agreement on everything, including the color of benches that would be purchased."

O'Hara said the best part of the project was seeing everyone work together. "I asked for help in the community and so many people were offering help and really wanted to be a part of this. It was really cool to know that the project was bringing the community together and we were contributing to a common goal."

O'Hara's friends and family are pleased with the project. "We think it is such a good thing to get kids, especially pre-teens and teens, to learn that life is not about "you, you, you'," said his mother, Kathleen O'Hara. She continued, "There is nothing better than hearing from your child "I enjoyed that and I want to do it again.'"

Volunteering benefits everyone, regardless of age. Jane Nethercut, coordinator for AISD's Peer Assistance Program, gets kids involved in local service projects through organized efforts within our schools. "It is important for young people to feel they are valued by their community because they have talents and strengths and skills that they can use to improve our quality of life here. By getting young people involved at this age, it reinforces the importance of becoming creative, productive and contributing citizens," she said.

Michael Sullivan, Scoutmaster for O'Hara's Boy Scout Troop 410, reinforced her idea. "O'Hara was Senior Patrol Leader in our troop, which gave him the opportunity to lead a group of boys to make decisions about what they would do as a group, whether it was a camping trip or running a general weekly meeting. He learned the ins and outs of leadership and following through on commitments through this first-hand experience."

"When you volunteer you learn how to lead. When you're a kid you sometimes feel you don't have any power -- it's all with the adults." O'Hara continued, "One thing that the Scouts has taught me is that it's not all adults, it's up to me. Kids can make a difference in the community. The adults aren't the only ones who can make things happen."

And make it happen, he did.