Helping the homeless stay a little warmer

by Eliav Appelbaum

Patrick DiTomaso's family says he's has a tendency to put others before himself.

When his mother, Linda, asked him what he wanted for his 17th birthday on Feb. 28, Patrick said, "Nothing."

"He didn't want anything because the economy is what it is," DiTomaso said. "He's generous and very, very kind."

In December, the Boy Scout in Troop 642 was thinking about what he could do for his Eagle Scout project. Patrick decided to collect jackets for every homeless person in Simi Valley.

"I always think to myself, 'How do they survive in the cold?'"

It's estimated bout 175 homeless people reside in Simi Valley. So Patrick set out to collect 175 jackets—one for each person living outdoors in town.

So far, he's collected 186 jackets, and the new goal is to get 200 new or gently used jackets by Sunday.

"I'm shocked that I've been able to get so many," he said.

Patrick got his idea two years ago on a field trip to the Santa Monica Pier. He saw a homeless man drawing on the pier, approached him and gave him the change in his pocket. He said he's felt an affection for the downtrodden ever since.

A junior at Village Glen School in Sherman Oaks, Patrick put up fliers about his project around town. Jackets can be donated at any of the nine Subway sandwich shops in Simi Valley through March 8. In return for a jacket, a person may receive a small sub, a drink and a bag of chips.

Patrick will clean and wash the jackets with the help of a few Boy Scouts before delivering them to the Samaritan Center. He plans to hand out some of the jackets personally to people at the center.

"He's directing his efforts to make a difference in his community and in others' lives," said Betty Eskey, executive director of the Samaritan Center. "In the long run, he will probably be more affected than most by giving than those that receive the jackets."

Patrick's family is thrilled with his Eagle Scout project.

"He's very passionate about it," said his mom. "He thought maybe he could make their lives a little better."

"I admire what he's doing," said his sister, Arianna, who is 19. "Patrick has always been someone you can count on to be there and help any way he can. He's one of the sweetest people I know. This is a perfect project for him, reaching out and helping other people."

Patrick has Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that can affect a person's behavior in social settings. The Boy Scout said he won't let AS slow him down, and his successful project is proof of that.

"I feel like I'm the same as other people," Patrick said. "I'm normal, I just have some problems that they don't have. But I feel like a normal kid, just like everyone else."

Source: http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/...unity/028.html

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