COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After living on the streets with his family, one local teenage boy is about to change the life for a struggling homeless mother.
“He came up with the entire vision,” said Mary Hoggatt, the Program Manager for Mary’s Home. “He knew exactly what he wanted to do and he made it happen.”
After nearly 5 months of hard work and fundraising, 15-year-old Eagle Scout Jacob Bontje will make a dream come true.
“She’s probably going to cry when she sees it,” said Bontje. “I’ve had people come up and say they wish they lived here.”
Bontje raised more than $5,000 in order to help a single homeless mother go from living in her car to living in an apartment.
“He raised the money that was necessary to furnish an entire apartment and then him and his group came back and set up the entire apartment, building furniture, decorating – all of it,” said Hoggatt.
Everything in the apartment Bontje picked out – all the while keeping in mind what mom and baby would enjoy most.
“It means more than the world to me,” said Bontje. “I envisioned it yesterday when we were shopping and then today everything just came together perfectly.”
As mom and baby prepare to move in and begin anew, it’s Bontje’s kindness and compassion that are left – like fingerprints – over their new home.
“He did this, he created this,” said Hoggatt. “He brought in the work, he brought in all the people that did all the work and his kindness is literally everywhere. It’s tangible – you can actually see it.”
All proceeds raised by Bontje came online and also through a motorcycle fundraiser. Mom and baby will move in on August 8th.