Matthew Frost, a junior at Hood River Valley High School, has just finished making a corner of his world a better place. But not just for himself — it’s for students who, when school starts up, can start receiving medical and behavioral health services at the high school’s School-Based Health Center (SBHC), a satellite site managed by One Community Health.
Over the past few months, Frost has invested about 70 hours landscaping the grounds leading up to and skirting the SBHC, which sits at the high school’s southwest corner. The project included planning for and designing the landscaping, plus collecting donations, recruiting volunteers and implementing what has been his Eagle Scout Project, on behalf of Troop 282 and the entire Columbia River Gorge community.
“When students come to get their health care, it really helps if they’re walking into an inviting place,” Frost said. “With the new landscaping, it looks more kept up and now has a warm feeling with all the plants, mulch and shrubbery.”
With this project, Frost earns his Eagle Scout rank — the highest achievement in the Boy Scouting Program. For four years, he’s been working on this ranking. Now, he’s got options and a bright future ahead of him in terms of possible opportunities.
“I’m definitely feeling proud,” Frost said. “Earning this ranking and working on such a big project has been a lot of work, but this will look great on college applications, and it will also enable me to stay with the troop and become an assistant scout master.”
The total project cost $1,000, of which Frost contributed $300.
To make the project a success, Frost received a number of material and cash donations, plus volunteer support from fellow troop members and a few adults. Frost would like to thank the following: Bryant Pipe and Supply, Gorge Nursery, Adam’s Bark Dust & Wood Products, Good News Gardening, Walmart, Hood River Valley High School, Providence Memorial Hospital, Alden Gendreau, Connor Traux, Rich Traux, Beren Anderson, Ethan Fowler, Andrew Lemly, Wynn Winfield, Danny Garcia, Rich Polkinghorn, Alec Matthews, Emmet Becker, Michael Becker, Clayton Lee and Frost’s parents, Lynne and Mark Frost.
One Community Health is grateful to Frost and all who contributed their time and resources to the landscaping effort.
“We were honored to have a young leader like Matthew come forward and ask us if he could help make the grounds around the center look better,” said David Edwards, CEO. “It’s certainly does look better, and we know both our patients and our staff members working there will appreciate the aesthetic improvement when, come next fall, they’re experiencing it for themselves.”
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