Allison Kaminer (left) and Ava Gazzara are shown with 100 sensory kits for autistic children that the former made for her Eagle Scout project along with other members of her Medford troop.
Allison Kaminer wanted to do something a little different for her Eagle Scout Project.
“When trying to think what I wanted to do for my project, it was important for me that it wasn’t beautification because we have a really pretty town,” she said.
“My older brother is and Eagle Scout and he did something similar – blessing bags for the homeless. It was really important to me that it was community outreach.”
That is when Kaminer, a junior at Shawnee High School, thought of sensory bags.
“I have a family member with autism so I saw how sensory overload can be,” she said.
Kaminer is a Life Scout from Scout Troop 26 in Medford. Under her direction, troop members were able to put together 100 Sensory Kits for children with autism. Each kit contains noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses with a strap, a variety of different sensory toys, as well as communication aids for the non-verbal.
The project idea came to fruition last summer and through fundraising efforts, Kaminer raised over $2,000 for the project to create the kits. She had set up a GoFundMe site and sent over 300 emails asking for support. The Medford Rotary Club donated the most to her cause, almost $500, Kaminer said.
Her mom, Robyn, said she was proud of her daughter’s persistence and “sticking with it,” which at times was overwhelming not hearing back from people.
Kaminer delivered the sensory bags on Nov. 7 to Positive Development in Cherry Hill, a developmental care program for children with autism.
“I just wanted to make someone’s life easier with the kits,” she said of the idea.
In addition to helping children with autism, Kaminer hopes the project will promote disability awareness.
