Character Does Matter Service Projects – 2013
The Travis Manion Foundation has awarded Eric’s father a $4,500 challenge grant in 2013 as part of the “Character Does Matter” program. These funds will be matched by Eric’s family and given to students in the form of three $3,000 scholarships to those students participating in service projects organized by Eric’s dad and demonstrating leadership potential. Completing an essay about Eric is also part of the scholarship criteria. The scholarships will be awarded in the fall of 2013. After presenting the Character Does Matter program to Severna Park high school in February, students were given the opportunity to put their learning to work right away in the form of service projects set up by Eric’s father.
Similar to the previous year, the service projects took the form of two Habitat For Humanity Build Events as well as writing biographies for the Fallen Heroes Portrait project, a separate foundation Eric’s father is involved with.
The Habitat build events were held on April 27th, 2013 and May 4th, 2013. Students from Severna Park and Dematha high schools participated in the events. The students helped with the building of homes in Baltimore City for low income families. The kids worked very hard, learned some new skills and also had a chance to work side by side with people who will soon be recipients of one of the Habitat homes. At the last build site, it was a little perilous as snakes and poison ivy were also working the sight. Ok, it was a little garden snake but it was still scary. Great job students!
