When Roman Fox, 14, a student at Providence Christian School and a member of BSA Troop 125, began the process of planning for his Eagle Scout project, it proved to be somewhat of a challenge to find a location willing to accommodate him during COVID-19 restrictions. Fox’s family, who attends St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church was familiar with the nearby Juliette Fowler Communities (JFC), an intergenerational community of residents at various life stages. After learning JFC was willing to work with Fox, the family participated in a meeting and tour of JFC’s 20-acre campus and fell in love with the organization’s close-knit family atmosphere. Once Fox learned about JFC’s wish for a flagpole to be installed at the entrance, he knew he had found his perfect project.

 

“I think that the flagpole is a great project because 2020 was a tough year for everyone,” said Roman Fox. “Juliette Fowler Communities is a faith-based, nonprofit organization that serves youth and elders with housing and issues related to aging and homelessness. This project will be beneficial to both the organization and its residents as it will enhance the main entrance, exhibit their love and pride of our country, support our veterans, and draw attention to their community.”

 

Fox raised over $2,600 from 40 donors for the project, which involved over 31 workers, including fellow boy scouts, leaders, and other adults working a total of 277 hours from October to March. Outside of planning, fundraising, and purchasing materials, project tasks included digging the hole, pouring cement, working with an electrician for lighting, installing the 25’, 200 lb. flagpole, building a surrounding flagstone patio, and adding stone edging, five boxwood bushes, and two floodlights.

 

“I have grown up building things and have a creative mind,” added Fox. “I really enjoyed sketching out the project and determining and organizing all of the things that would be needed to complete it.  We began this process in late October and just completed it with an official first flag raising on Saturday, March 13. It is so rewarding knowing what we did as a team and how much work it took to do it. We built a symbol of our freedom and a structure that will bring joy to people for a very long time.”

 

As residents of the community began to learn about the project, they found joy in watching the group work and seeing the progress.  Additionally, several of JFC’s resident veterans were elated.

 

Colonel Jim Bell, a veteran and resident at JFC, reached out to Fox to provide him with a donation to assist with the fundraising portion of his project.

 

“That flag raising meant a lot to me,” added Colonel Bell. “You know, I’ve seen many flags raised over the years, and each one continues to remind me why I fought for this country. I was in the Army for over 20 years and appreciate members of the community that pay tribute to our service.”

 

“Working with Roman Fox on this very special Eagle Scout project not only provided our Fowler Family with the flagpole we have been wishing for, but it also proved to be such a heartwarming experience for us all,” said Nicole Gann, president and CEO, Juliette Fowler Communities. “Roman is right that this has been such a challenging year for everyone – not only with the pandemic but also the winter storm, which caused significant damage on our campus. Watching Roman and his team work during these past few months has been such a joy and truly lifted everyone’s spirits, giving them something wonderful to discuss and look forward to! This flagpole will always instill a sense of pride in our hearts not only for our country, but it will also remind us of a time when a soon-to-be Eagle Scout and his crew gave us hope for a brighter tomorrow.”

 

Juliette Fowler Communities is a unique faith-based, intergenerational community of residents at various life-stages.  Located on 20 picturesque acres, Juliette Fowler Communities provides independent and assisted living, a Five-Star Quality Rated skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, memory care and affordable senior housing.  As the only certified I’m Still Here® Center for Excellence in Dementia Care in Dallas and one of only three in Texas, Fowler’s program employs evidence-based techniques to adapt experiences to an individual’s cognitive abilities and strengths. It has also been named a Great Place to Work in the Aging Services Industry in 2018, 2019 and 2020.  Juliette Fowler Communities’ new Youth Support Center is a one-stop location to help Dallas youth escape or avoid sex trafficking and exploitation, and The Ebby House is a residence for young women, ages 18-24, at risk for homelessness due to neglect, abuse, and aging out of the foster care system. The Ebby House program instills life skills and provides mentoring, health care, education, career guidance and job training. Additional services of Juliette Fowler Communities include foster and adoption services. Visit fowlercommunities.org or call 214.827.0813.