Innovator + Pie Maker = Nourishing the Jackson Community

By day, you might know Willi Brooks as the Front of House Manager and Volunteer Coordinator at The Center for the Arts. In summer, you can catch Willi serving up homemade pie at the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. But did you know that as a 17-year-old Scout, Willi along with the help of Boy Scout Troop #67 dreamed up the idea of the Jackson Cupboard as their Eagle Scout project? The Scout must plan, develop and lead a service project that demonstrates leadership and commitment to duty. In 2001, this dream became a reality and has been serving the Jackson community since that time.

We asked Willi a few questions to get us up to speed on this accomplishment.

Q: Tell us about your Eagle Scout project with the Jackson Cupboard.

A: The Jackson Cupboard was a project I conceived with the help of my parents Herb and Amy Brooks and my Eagle Scout counselor Mike Henzy. From start to finish, the whole thing took about 9 months. This included everything from construction, ordering materials, meeting with inspectors and collecting cash and material donations.

Q: How did you identify the need to help our community?

A: I have always liked food and growing up my mom would cook a family dinner almost every night. It's a really important part of my family. That made me consider not only how important it is for someone to eat, but also how valuable gathering as a family is to me. Whether that "family" is a group of friends, parents and children, a relative, a stranger, or whoever it may be, the ritual of sharing a meal with someone is always high on my daily priority list.

Q: What were your initial plans or prototype like?

A: Luckily for me, the space was already somewhat established by another Eagle Scout who had built some shelves. It was important that the space felt like a market-esque shopping area where people can peruse shelves and pick out what they want. It empowers someone to walk through and visualize what they can make out of something they pull off the shelf, which was also what we wanted for anyone using the Cupboard. After the initial concept, I went to the church and asked how much space we could have for the build. My dad, Herb, then helped me draw plans and run a material take off list. The first plan we made stuck, and is what is still in place today, minus a good coat of paint and the sitting area outside of the youth room.

Q: How did those plans differ from the final plan or running of the Cupboard?

A: The running of the Cupboard was and still is a whole different beast from when we built it. At the time of inception there was a need for it, but it wasn’t a big one. Someone would be brought down at a random hour of the day and pick out items that primarily came from Scouting for Food. Now there are established hours, a ton of volunteers, food from Hole Food Rescue, and staples purchased with a budget raised through Old Bill's and other monetary donations.

Q: Who would you say was most influential to the project?

A: We received a large donation from Bill Weiss, which was very generous and significant. I would say the person who has been the most influential throughout the entire history of the Cupboard has been my mom, Amy. I don’t think it would exist today if it weren’t for her. Seriously, what she has done to keep that place running, words cannot describe.

Q: What would you like to say to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in 2018?

A: I saw my first female scout at Elk Fest a couple weeks ago and it made me so happy. Finally, Scouts are standing for what I was taught in Scouts - inclusivity. I know life is hard for everyone. In no way am I perfect but remembering to treat every person as an equal and how you want to be treated is what it is, and should be all about. I know that sometimes the Scouts get a bad rap for principles they have had in past and I’m really happy to see it change to include any and everyone.

Q: Would you do anything differently?

A: I would have made the cupboard bigger, and above ground so our volunteers could work with less strain.

Q: How does it make you feel to see that the Cupboard is still feeding hungry people in need in our community?

A: It makes me sad and it makes me happy, totally bittersweet. I wish there wasn’t hunger anywhere in the world. Food is and should be a basic human right. Decent living wages are needed so people can buy food and we as humans need to take better care of our mentally ill so they can go without hunger.

Q: What is your favorite recipe?

A: Anything cooked over a campfire. I love cooking outside, especially breakfast.

Q: What is one experience in your life that has changed you forever?

A: There are literally millions of life changing experiences I’ve had, but a big one was traveling to Cuba, with my family and St. John's. Meeting the amazing people of Itabo and Favorito, and seeing how they live and welcomed us changed a lot for me.

Q: How could the parishioners of St. John’s spread-love in this valley?

A: I think the St. John's community already does an amazing job at this. One thing I always try to remember is to stay humble. It’s not easy and I don’t always do it, and so it’s something I have to remind myself every day.