Cub Scouts from Plumsted Township worked together to offer a helping hand to children whose lives were affected by tornadoes that devastated Joplin, Mo., last month. PLUMSTED — Although Joplin, Mo., is 1,000 miles away from Plumsted Township, the boys in Plumsted’s Cub Scout Pack 9 have been touched by recent events that have shattered that city.
Cub Scout den mother Beverly Guiliano has been helping the boys collect donations that will be sent to residents of Joplin whose lives were turned upside down when a tornado devastated the city.
Guiliano said that when the Cub Scouts heard about what happened in Joplin, they tried to think of ways they could help the people in Missouri.
“They wanted to do more than just send money,” she said.
The boys gathered gifts that a child who does not have a permanent bedroom would be able to enjoy. From candy to crayons, and books, toys and even some stuffed animals, the Plumsted Cub Scouts filled plastic bags with gifts to send to their fellow Cub Scouts.
With each gift, the Cub Scouts wrote a letter to the young victims of the devastation in Joplin.
The boys wrote, “I am so sorry that you lost all of your things” and they expressed the hope that the gifts they were sending would put a smile on someone’s face at a very difficult time.
“They are really touching,” Guiliano said of the letters, adding that the boys tried to think about this type of situation affecting their lives.
Guiliano was able to get in touch with Joplin Cub Scout Pack 77 and said the items will be sent directly from Plumsted to the boys in Pack 77. She said the Plumsted youths wanted to do something that would help specific people.
“Sending to the Cub Scouts would touch each child,” she said.
A group of about 30 Plumsted boys between the ages of 7 and 9 donated their time and effort for the cause, Guiliano said.
“I am so incredibly proud of them,” she said.
The Scouts are also planning to send duffel bags to Joplin because they heard that after some people had recovered items from their destroyed homes, they had no place to put those possessions, Guiliano said.
The Cub Scout leader said it is important for the boys to start learning and talking about preparedness and emergency management in the event that something unexpected occurs.
The Cub Scouts work on different service projects throughout the year, such as donating to Toys for Tots and packing lunches for a soup kitchen in Trenton, she said.