HAVERHILL — The floor of the food pantry at All Saints Parish was showing its age.
It had been repainted several years ago, but the job didn't take and the paint had been flaking off.
In stepped Christopher "CJ" Hubbard, who obtained the approval to repaint the floor as his Eagle Scout community project.
But things didn't go as easily as one might think.
Hubbard, who last fall was entering his senior year at Whittier Tech, had his hands full with school work. Things kept pulling him in different directions.
Every time he submitted his plan to the Eagle Scout board, it was returned with revisions for improvement.
Needing to get his project approved prior to his 18th birthday on March 31, discouragement set in.
"Last year I had stopped attending Scout meetings as I was busy with other things," said Hubbard. "While I was attending summer camp, I realized my 18th birthday wasn't far off and I needed to do something if I wanted to become an Eagle Scout," he said.
There were a few times when he lost hope, he admitted.
"The paperwork alone was extensive and having to turn it in several times was a process, as they kept revising it," Hubbard said. "My mom kept pushing me to keep going, and not lose faith. So I kept moving forward."
His senior year was a busy, including a co-op job in January where he tests fire alarms in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
His search over the winter for an Eagle project had many twists and turns.
"At first I was frustrated, as some projects I had considered seemed not enough, others seemed too much while others seemed impractical for an Eagle project," Hubbard recalled. "And since it was winter, it had to be done indoors, which presented another challenge."
Hubbard is a member of All Saints Parish, and a member of Boy Scout Troop 1 based at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Haverhill.
He began his journey in scouting in the first grade at St. Joseph School with the Cub Scouts before becoming a Boy Scout. He's worked his way up to scouting's pinnacle achievement: becoming an Eagle Scout.
"It's a very prestigious thing and only a small percentage of scouts become an Eagle Scout," he said.
One of the requirements was that his project benefit his community and comply with a minimum of 100 hours of work.
"One suggestion was cleaning a room in the church, but it didn't seem like a big enough project. Another was clearing out a storage room at the pantry and turning it into an office," Hubbard said. "That didn't seem to be practical for my project as it would have needed electrical wiring, and some plumbing, which I was not allowed to do as I'm not licensed."
Speaking with his pastor, the Rev. Timothy Kearny, he learned the floor of the food pantry was badly in need of an update.
The scope of the project involved six rooms in the basement of the rectory, where the food pantry is located.
"It was tedious job, as there were appliances to move along with tables and shelves stacked with food," Hubbard said. "We had to move everything out, then move it all back when we were done."
"The floors were a mess," said Terry Mahoney, who manages the food pantry with his wife, Debra Mahoney. "I knew it was a big undertaking, as the floors needed to be completely cleaned, stripped and sealed."
Mahoney said that when Hubbard came to him with his proposal, he was elated.
"A few years ago we had painted the floors, but it didn't adhere very well and almost immediately began coming up," Mahoney said. "The project was well thought out and CJ had a plan he reviewed with me. And when he was done, he donated money he had left over to our food pantry account — which is used for emergencies such as a broken down refrigerator, or buying a supply of food — which we buy at a discount from the Greater Boston Food Bank."
To help fund his project, Hubbard asked fellow parishioners for donations. He received enough money to purchase the needed materials, with money left over for the food pantry.
"I also received donations of two blower fans from ServPro to dry the floors, while White Street Paint in Plaistow donated a gallon of paint for a wooden staircase, doors and trim," he said.
With money in hand, Hubbard recruited 20 helpers as his job was to plan, manage and supervise, but not do the work himself.
Frequent chats with employees at Home Depot in Plaistow provided him with the technical information he needed.
"The hardest part of the project was cleaning grime from the floor," Hubbard said. "Then what we did is called etching, which removed all of the old paint and prepared the surface for painting.
"Once we finally laid down the paint, it looked amazing," Hubbard said. "I was very happy with it and the people who run the pantry love it."
He completed his project on March 20 and submitted a report to the Scouts.
Now that he's 18 and finished with the Scouts, he has three months to complete his paperwork and go before a board of review.
"They will look over my project workbook, which includes photos, then they will make a decision," Hubbard said.
