PARSIPPANY — Today is another proud day in Parsippany as Keith J. Hawkins, Jr., received Eagle Scout during his Eagle Scout Court of Honor held at Celebrate the Children’s School in Denville.

The pathway to Eagle can be described as a steep trail leading up to three peaks, the highest being that of Eagle Scout. Officially, the trail starts with the Tenderfoot rank and continues through Second and First Class ranks. Then, the mountain climbing begins. The path is marked with merit badges, leadership responsibilities, service projects, and the practice of Scouting skills and ideals. The first peak reached is that of Star Scout, the second is Life Scout, and, finally, Eagle Scout.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Keith J. Hawkins, Jr.

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The Eagle Scout Award is Scouting’s highest rank and among its most familiar icons. Men who have earned it count it among their most treasured possessions. Those who missed it by a whisker remember exactly which requirement they didn’t complete. Americans from all walks of life know that being an Eagle Scout is a great honor. The award is more than a badge. It’s a state of being. The Eagle Scout may have received the badge as a boy, but you earn it every day as a man. In the words of the Eagle Scout Promise, they do your best each day to make their training and example, their rank and their influence count strongly for better Scouting and for better citizenship in the troop, in their community, and in their contacts with other people. And to this they pledge their sacred honor.

Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men. Only 5% of the Boy Scouts actually earn this rank.

Troop 72 was founded in 1954, and has been serving the boys of the Parsippany area ever since. They have scouts from all parts of Parsippany and beyond. They are sponsored by St. Peter the Apostle Church and All Saints Academy.

Ms. Brenda Sonzogni, Troop 72 Advancement Committee Chair, certified to the National Office of the Boy Scouts of America that Keith J. Hawkins, Jr., met the requirements for the rank of Eagle.

Keith earned 29 merit badges, 13 of these are required merit badges to earn Eagle. The required badges are:

1. Camping
2. Citizenship in the Community
3. Citizenship in the Nation
4. Citizenship in the World
5. Communications
6. Cooking
7. Emergency Preparedness
8. Environmental Science
9. Family Life
10. First Aid
11. Personal Management
12. Personal Fitness
13. Swimming

Keith earned the following elective merit badges:

1. Archery
2. Chess
3. Electricity
4. Energy
5. Fingerprinting
6. Geology
7. Home Repairs
8. Indian Lore
9. Leatherwork
10. Metalwork
11. Pioneering
12. Railroading
13. Rifle Shooting
14. Robotics
15. Shotgun Shooting
16. Wood Carving

Keith also earned the following Recognitions or Trainings:
1. Den Chief Training
2. Den Chief Service Award
3. NRA Rifle Pro-Marksman
4. NRA Rifle Marksman
5. NRA Rifle Marksman First Class
6. NRA Rifle Sharpshooter
7. NRA Shotgun Pro-Marksman
8. NOA Camping Award
9. National Youth Leadership Training
10. Woodsman’s Thong

Keith had to serve actively in a troop position for a period of six months after becoming a Life Scout. He served as Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster after earning Life Scout.

Keith had to plan, develop and carry out a service project worthy of an Eagle Scout. Keith took on the challenge of creating a Lego Therapy room for the Celebrate the Children School in Denville. The project started with painting the room and outside hallway arch. Keith organized a Lego collection effort by using communication skills learned as a scout, and by social media outreach. This led to donations by friends, neighbors and members of Troop 72. Keith also made a presentation of his project to Troop 8 in Chatham, garnering more donations. In conjunction with the sponsor, Keith helped design the room, and compiled a list of materials. These materials allowed for two large “building tables”, a set of portable tray “building tables”, and two large building areas on the wall. These are all covered with lego base plates. For storage, donated shelving was assembled, and storage cabinet refinished to a brighter color. While supervising the construction, Keith also provided direction to volunteers sorting, cleaning and drying the donated Legos. To make the room truly unique, Keith contacted an amateur artist to provide a Lego themed portrait on the back wall.

After completing this Eagle Scout Project he had to appear before a Board of Review of prominent persons and satisfy them that he had done his best to understand and live up to the Scout Oath and Law, and in all ways, qualify for the Eagle Scout Award.

Keith received special acknowledgements from Councilman Michael dePierro on behalf of the Township Council, Parsippany Rotary Club, Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, Assemblyman Jay Webber and Senator Joe Pennacchio; Frank Cahill, President and Karen DeChristopher, Vice President, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany; Richard Kunz on behalf of Parsippany VFW Post 10184, Marilyn Marion from Parsippany Women’s Club, Lauren Blaszak, Executive Directors of Celebrate the Children School and Executive Board Member Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Frank Cahill.

Keith is a 2017 alumni of Parsippany Hills High School and currently is attending Morris County Community College.

PARSIPPANY — Respect My Life Founder Jabari Jackson organized a group of individuals to prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be delivered to the homeless.

Jackson is a 2010 graduate of Parsippany High School.

Members of Parsippany Police Explorers, residents, members of Respect My Life and elected officials gathered at Parsippany PAL Youth Center and prepared over 1300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be delivered to three homeless centers: Saint John’s Soup Kitchen, Newark; Toni’s Soup Kitchen, Montclair and Eva’s Kitchen Village in Paterson.

The bread, peanut butter and jelly was all donated by members of the Parsippany Police Explorers, Respect My Life and ShopRite of Parsippany.

Respect My Life

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Toni’s Kitchen is a food ministry of St Luke’s Episcopal Church in Montclair. They envision a community where everyone has reliable access to healthy food. Their mission is to provide food to neighbors in need in ways that improve health and independence. Their door is open and all are welcome.

Toni’s Kitchen was started in 1982 by parishioners at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church with the simple mission to “serve our neighbors in need.” Following the lead of a soup kitchen in nearby Paterson, people arriving for a hot meal were treated as guests and served restaurant style. The parishioners felt that this approach offered more dignity and respect than the traditional “stand in line” soup kitchen model. Toni’s Kitchen is located at 73 South Fullerton Avenue.

Saint John’s Soup Kitchen is famous not so much as an historic site as it is for its good works: over 6,000,000 breakfasts and dinners have been served to hungry people, free exhibits are held for struggling artists and the city’s school children, and thousands of toys and books are distributed to other churches and charitable institutions at Christmas.

St. John’s is supported by free-will donations. They do not receive government funds of any kind.

They are open Tuesday through Saturday for Breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Women and Children’s Center serving breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. St. John’s Soup Kitchen is located at 22 Mulberry Street.

Eva’s Kitchen was founded in 1982 to help feed the hungry. It is a safe and welcoming place closed off from the busy streets of Paterson. Eva’s Kitchen was founded in 1982 to help feed the hungry. To begin the feeding ministry, the first meal of hot dogs and beans was served in the basement of St. John’s Cathedral to 30 individuals. In the early 1990’s an expanded kitchen was built on Main Street with capacity for 240 people. To help feed the growing number of homeless and working poor, an expansion in 2011 increased the capacity to 400.

The Kitchen now serves a nutritious breakfast and lunch for up to 400 individuals, and is open 365 days a year. In addition to the meals served to guests in our Kitchen, daily meals are prepared for the 350 men, women and mothers with children who reside in our recovery and sheltering programs, amounting to 1,300 meals each day. Breakfast served from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., weekdays
and lunch at 12:00 p.m., seven days a week. Eva’s Kitchen is located 393 Main Street.

Jabari Jackson serves as a role model to what you believe in. Jackson said “Unnderstand I have consciously made the effort to understand that your life serves much meaning to this world. Our country is built on the value of justice regardless of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religion, or occupation. We must subconsciously enlighten our neighbors and young people with the premise of respect. By generating a culture, it will allow people to bridge the gap. Understanding the power of voice, its essential to speak out against violence so that your life will not be cut short due to the act of senseless and selfish violence. The vision is to utilize the resources we have within our own communities to come together regardless of race and ethnicity and empower those less fortunate. We must come together to listen and be heard. You too have the power to be heard.”

For more information on Respect My Life, click here.