Commentary by Brad Thompson
Matthew Dumbris, a member of Boy ScoutTroop 358, chartered with St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Zionsville, likes to work with his hands. In searching for an Eagle project, he came across the So Big Mountain House in Whitestown, not too far from where Dumbris is an eighth-grader at Zionsville West Middle School.
The house is a maternity home where women with unexpected pregnancies can find shelter, food “and most of all, love.” The facility is a farmhouse owned by New Hope Christian Church. So Big spent two years remodeling the home and bringing it up to code. In 2018, it officially opened its doors, but there was still work to be done outside.
In talking with So Big, Dumbris decided that he could help by pouring a cement patio and planting a line of evergreens as a wind buffer. Pouring cement is hard work and requires skill. So, he first had to find an adult who could teach the boys how to do cement work. Jared Redelman offered to help. Fortunately, IMI donated the concrete. Others made in-kind donations, including GreenCycle, Lowe’s and Tim Thompson, who offered the use of his skid steer and trailer. Dumbris also set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for the trees and other outside improvements. Unfortunately, they have not quite met their goal of $2,400.
