Sartell Scout helps homeless

by Carolyn Bertsch

(Editor’s note: Total donations as of March 19 are as follows: 195 blankets, 25 winter hats/gloves/scarves, five winter coats and six sets of sheets.)

\A lot of people will be a little warmer thanks to 17-year-old Alex Welte of Sartell.

The teen has collected nearly 200 blankets to donate to the Lincoln Homeless Center in St. Cloud.

Welte, a member of Boy Scout Troop 11, is working to earn his Eagle Scout badge, a Boy Scouts’ highest honor. He was inspired to collect blankets during a breakout session at a National Youth Leadership Training, and he ran with the idea.

“I had to fill out a giant project proposal packet for the Eagle Scout Board outlining the concept and how I was going to do it,” Welte said. “Within two weeks, I got a letter saying the project was approved and given instructions.”

Welte received permission to place a collection box in the Boy Scouts building in Sartell and Messiah Lutheran Church donated space to make tie blankets. Word was spread through social media and before long Welte had exceeded his initial goal of 50 blankets.

“A lot of them came from Sartell, and there were a few of them from Sauk Rapids,” he said. “We got blankets from all around. The farthest away was a box that came from a distant relative in Texas.”

Welte makes a weekly pick-up at the Boy Scout office. Many of the donated blankets are in good condition, but others require repair.

“We are still going through them,” he said. “Some of them are relatively new, or lightly used, but some of them are a little more beat up. “The blankets that are tie blankets we are going to sew back together where the holes are and retie the ends, and there are other kinds of blankets we might need to add some fabric to.”

Welte is still collecting blankets and would like to connect with a laundromat willing to donate washers and dryers in order to ensure all the blankets are properly cleaned before delivery.

“The community has been very helpful because they are responsible for donating a lot of blankets and there is no way I could’ve gotten this far without them,” he said.

Of the nearly 200 blankets already received, approximately 15-20 of them have been handmade tie blankets. Welte plans to make or purchase 10 more.

“I’m hoping that we can reach (more) blankets that we can drop off at the Lincoln Center by the end of April.”

A scout since the age of 10, after he completes his Eagle Scout project, Welte plans to remain involved in Boy Scouts as an adult leader.

“I would like to work with the younger Scouts (who) will be working on their Eagle Scout projects to help them figure out what they will be doing and assist them as much as possible.”

His advice to Scouts pursuing the Eagle Scout Project is to take action quickly.

“Once you decide on a project, start right away so you can plan out as much as possible and not have to worry about time constraints,” he said. “Make sure to find a project you are passionate about early on so you don’t have to deal with any complications. “

Welte lives in Sartell with his parents Anne and Nathanial and one sister, Emily, 18. He is a junior at Sartell High School and is also involved in the National Honor Society and the Robotics Team. After high school, he plans to pursue a career in the field of applied science.