My son did his Eagle Scout project last week. It was a great project and I wanted to share it for other potential Eagle Scouts out there. There is a place in Sandy, Ut called the Happy Factory. This is a non-profit organization that makes toys for underpriviledged children. There are several Happy Factories around the country and they are just now starting to show up in other countries.
The Happy Factory makes small cars and trucks out of wood. All the wood is donated from cabinet and door shops around the area which is a very high quality wood. The Happy Factory takes the scrap wood and draws cars on them. Then holes are drilled in each car for windows and wheels then someone cuts them out with a jig saw. Next they are sanded, and routed to make them smooth and give them a nice shape. The wheels are put on, which is the only expense the Happy Factory has to come up with. It currently costs about 40 cents to make each car because of the wheels. The cars then are coated with mineral oil which gives them a nice finish without making the cars a potential health risk for the children who may put the cars in their mouths. Everything, exclucing the wheels, is donated including the wood, the labor and the machinery used to produce the cars were donated. (from Home Depot) The rent in the building was even donated for an extended length of time.
In the short time we spent at the Happy Factory, we finished 251 cars. That is 251 children that will have their first toy. The operator told us a story of one child that received his toy while in the hospital. The boy took the car with a smile on his face, tested each wheel to make sure they all worked, he rolled the car on his face a couple of times then put it to his heart. He feel asleep soon after and never woke up. Such a touching story of the joy this project can bring into the lives of children around the world that may never know what it is like to own a toy of their own.
The Happy Factory is a worthy cause and it makes a great Eagle Scout project, a church activity, family reunion activity or service project for anyone. You can show up during their designated hours alone or in a small group or reserve a time for a larger group. You must be 21 to operate the machinery but there are stations/jobs for most ages. Look up the nearest Happy Factory in your area and see if there is anything you can do to help. I am confident you will feel rewarded if you do.