Share on LinkedIn

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Will Lounsberry has always been sensitive to the homeless. Coming from a family of at least 6 Eagle Scouts, Will knew he would someday achieve Scouting’s highest rank. And the final requirement of that award is a project to help the community.

“As a Cub Scout, I made it my goal to do something eventually for the homeless as my Eagle Scout project,” said Lounsberry, a 2023 graduate of Barbe High School. “So this has helped it a lot. This is pretty much my dream since I was a Cub Scout.”

A City of Refuge is a homeless shelter for veterans west of Vinton. Director Denise Stigen said a new area to display the United States and military flags was needed.

“It’s a blessing that we would have probably not been able to afford,” said Stigen. “We had priced doing things like this and had gotten down to the point where we were going to get the old flagpole down and sandblasted and repaint it. Now, we’ve got a beautiful flagpole and a beautiful area out there and it’s just beyond words.”

So Will spent months collecting donations and materials and organizing volunteers and fellow scouts from Troop 107 to do the work.

“I think it’s turning out way better than what I first planned. It’s turning out great. Everything’s kind of fallen in line the last 2 weeks, so I’m really excited for that.”

Will plans to be finished with the project this week. A dedication ceremony is planned for the fall. For more information, contact Stigen at (337) 279-5630. The shelter is located at 5899 Highway 3112 in Vinton, La.