Angels come in all shapes and sizes. For The Crime Victim’s Center of Chester County, Inc., they were members of St. Agnes Church’s Boy Scout Troop 153 lead by Eagle Scout candidate Adam Kazimierczyk, 17, who chose resurfacing the agency’s rutted staff parking lot as his Eagle Scout Project.
An East Bradford resident, Kazimierczyk will be a senior at Bishop Shanahan in the fall. He chose CVC, because his Mother knew about the work the agency does to help victims of crime and violence. He spoke with CVC’s Executive Director Peggy Gusz and got a green light to move ahead. According to Adam’s mother, Hanna, “It was the right time and the right place.” The rest, they say, is history and the ultimate fulfillment of Adam’s Eagle Scout Project.
Adam gathered a team of family and friends to help him accomplish his goal: his Dad Zdzislaw, Troop Chairman Steve Ryder and his son Matt Ryder, Troop Scout Master Gordon Hirs and his son, Nate, and fellow scouts Charlie Blake, Will Horstmann, John Tally and Daniel Redmond. Mom Hanna provided a tableful of food, drinks and desserts. Over three days and undeterred by the high heat, the band of stalwarts weeded the lot’s perimeter, removed loose rock, filled in ruts with asphalt, applied over 20 buckets of sealant and painted lines for each space.
CVC Executive Director Peggy Gusz described the teens’ efforts as a real Godsend. The agency did not have the funds for much needed parking lot improvements. “CVC was fortunate to have teens, such as Adam and his friends, who were willing to give up a full weekend to help our agency. Adam certainly earned Eagle Scout status,” she added. Gusz pointed out that Adam developed this project, which involved research, measurements and calculations, raising money for the materials and developing a project manual, among other things. The end result, Gusz commented, is that now staff and clients have defined parking spaces, for which they are most appreciative.
The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, Inc. is a private, community-based, non-profit comprehensive victim service agency that provides a broad range of supportive services to victims of crime and their families in Chester County, including hotline response; counseling (group and individual) and advocacy; accompaniment to medical, police, and legal procedures; training to area professionals, such as law enforcement and the legal and medical communities; and, information and referral services. The agency also provides prevention/education programs to schools, church and community groups, and businesses and organizations in the County. CVC has been operating in Chester County since 1973 and is recognized statewide for its victim advocacy work. For more information about CVC, please call 610-692-1926.
CVC’s two 24-hour Crisis Hotlines are available to victims of all types of crime: 610-692-7273 (Sexual Assault) and 610-692-7420 (Other Crimes).
