By EMMA BARTLETT

Two years ago, Stephen Caniglia, 17, started planning his Eagle Scout project which involved gathering toiletries, snacks and paper products for a collection drive he created called Scouts for Soldiers. After a month-long collection process in December 2021, Stephen and 30 other scouts prepared 40 care packages which were distributed to members of the National Guard’s Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) at Camp Fogarty on Saturday.

RSP NOIC (Non-commissioned Officer in Charge) Paul Hulkow said the RSP troops in the group that Caniglia donated to are between the ages of 17 and 30. RSP is designed to introduce new recruits to the U.S. Army’s fundamentals before leaving for Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training. This 10-week program gives individuals a glimpse into the military and afterward they move onto advanced training and Multiple Occupancy Specialty (MOS) where they choose one of the 127 jobs that the military provides.

Stephen’s mom, Michele, said the project started with trying to identify an area of need within the community. A family friend – Lieutenant Michelle Branch – mentioned that the ride to basic training can be lonely and tough. Stephen then came up with the idea to provide individuals with packages that had items to make their trip more enjoyable.

Stephen said each package included roughly 30 items. He mentioned that the items in the boxes included snacks and toiletries and were “helpful items to pass the time better and make the experience more memorable.”

Stephen had different collection sites throughout town including donation boxes at Central Library, Oaklawn Library, Chef-A-Roni Fancy Foods and the Cranston Police Department. Michele said after three days of having the boxes out, the family received a call that one of them was full. Michele said the community jumped right in to help Stephen with his endeavor.

Chief Paul Rao said Stephen demonstrated honor, integrity, selfless service and gifted him with a commander’s coin as well as a National Guard backpack and water bottle.

Stephen has been a scout since second grade and a Boy  Scout since fifth grade. He enjoys the interactions from scouting and making new friends, with Michele saying he’s made long-standing relationships.

Stephen will now finish the paperwork for his project and go before the Narragansett Council this summer to obtain full rank as Eagle Scout. Stephen is a member of Troop 66 Garden City and is a senior at Cranston West High School. After graduation, Stephen will go on to Roger Williams University to study architecture.

Any leftover donations go to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.