Bend Eagle Scout hopeful helps veterans in need

17-year-old aspires to join military

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- This Veterans Day weekend, a Bend High School senior working to earn the rank of Eagle Scout was busy collecting donations and resources for homeless and low-income veterans across Central Oregon.

Brendan Dearing, 17, is a Boy Scouts of America Life Scout at present, and also aspires to join the military. 

That's why helping local veterans in need became his personal mission.

“While I don’t have any directly in my family, I may someday be a veteran, and I’d definitely want people to support me in the same way,” Dearing said. 

In partnership with Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, Dearing collected monetary donations, along with canned food items, sleeping bags and toiletries for homeless and low-income veterans across the region.

On Sunday, Dearing and another volunteer set up a booth in front of the Safeway store on Highway 20. The weekend before, they collected donations in front of Sportsman’s Warehouse and Walmart.

Dearing said donations like sleeping bags, tents and food are especially important this time of the year, as winter approaches.

“It’s definitely our duty to help serve the people who served us,” Dearing said.

Dearing has applied to the Air Force and Naval academies, with his eyes set on becoming an engineer for the International Space Station.

To learn more about COVO, visit its website.