Inside Report

Bentley Kennedy-Stone, a 17-year-old McKinley High School senior, is a few steps away from earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement rank in Boy Scouts of America.

One of those final steps is a service project that must benefit an organization other than Boy Scouts, such as a church or school, according to the Boy Scouts’ national website.

Kennedy-Stone said he cycled through a number of ideas before he made his decision: providing a Christmas celebration to military families.

A simple Internet search later, and Kennedy-Stone found Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization that provides financial and moral support to military families.

Operation Homefront began in San Antonio in 2002 and expanded to Louisiana in 2007, said Tawney Tallo, executive director of Louisiana’s branch.

The group, which helps about 100,000 people in Louisiana, organizes Christmas toy drives and school supply drives in addition to offering financial help to military families in need.

“Our mission is emergency and financial assistance, but we do so much more than that,” she said.

Kennedy-Stone contacted two local families through Operation Homefront’s “Adopt a Family” program, Tallo said.

“Every holiday season, we connect members of the community with families in need,” Tallo said.

Kennedy-Stone and Troop 5 of St. James Episcopal Church then worked to raise funds to purchase toys and to collect canned goods for the two families.

The high school student invited the families to his home Dec. 23 to accept the gifts and food.

Kennedy-Stone said his initial reaction to the children opening their presents was, “Thank God I finally finished this project.”

When he watched the children smile while they opened their gifts, he realized how happy he and his fellow Scouts had made the families.

“We also got (toy) dinosaurs for them,” Kennedy-Stone said. “They were really excited, and they were jealous of each other’s dinosaurs. It was really cute.”

The families said they appreciated the efforts of Troop 5 and Operation Homefront.

Ashley Davis lives in Gonzales with her two sons, Ashton, 3, and Athan, 1.

Her husband, Jerrett Davis, has served in the U.S. Marine Corps for seven years and returned home from Afghanistan in September after an eight-month deployment.

That was his third deployment, Ashley Davis said, adding her husband will be deployed again later this year.

She said she is thankful for Kennedy-Stone and Operation Homefront, and her sons’ reactions to the gifts was “priceless.”

“It’s always nice just for people to help out and like that,” she said.

Davis said Kennedy-Stone also played with her sons after giving them gifts.

“Bentley was the sweetest man in the world,” she said. “His family was amazing. They comforted us with open arms.”

Lacy Behl, of Baker, served in the Army National Guard and was in Iraq from February 2004 to April 2005.

Her husband, Mark Behl Jr., is a sergeant in the Marine Corps and arrived home from Afghanistan on Christmas eve. They have a 15-month-old son, Gunnar.

Lacy Behl said she did not know what to expect before the gift day came, but thought it was heartwarming. “We’re always the ones that are giving because we’re in the military, so just to have someone say thanks to you, it means a lot,” she said.

Behl said her son, Gunnar, was enthralled with the gifts.

“My son is 15 months (old), so anything that is new is definitely a pleasant surprise for him,” Behl said.

Robert Stewart is a general-assignment reporter for The Advocate.

His email address is [e-mail]. Kennedy-Stone said he needs to earn two more merit badges before he can complete the final two steps to earn Eagle Scout rank: the Scoutmaster’s Conference and Eagle Board of Review, which are completed by Scout leaders to review the Scout’s accomplishments.

Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy-Stone’s mother, said she enjoys the camaraderie Boy Scouts has taught her son.

“I don’t think they realize it, but when they’re camping out in the middle of the night and it’s really cold or they think there’s an animal or something, they know what to do to take care of themselves,” she said. “They can apply those (lessons) later in life.”