Prospective Eagle Scout Gives ACAN A Facelift

The Asbury Church Assistance Network (ACAN) building in Severna Park got a facelift in August from prospective Eagle Scout Matthew DeShong of Boy Scout Troop 873 in Ferndale.

DeShong’s father worked with an ACAN volunteer, who referred DeShong to Janet Pack, the former executive director of ACAN who passed away in May.

DeShong reached out to ACAN in December 2019, and after months of paperwork, ground broke on the project on Saturday, August 8.

“The way that he interacted with me was just exemplary,” said Margo Arnoux, the newly appointed executive director of ACAN. “Throughout the whole project, he was thanking us for the opportunity. When we sat down to sign paperwork, he explained everything. He was very thorough and detailed.”

DeShong painted the entry doors and trim, worked on the landscaping and mulch, and installed picnic tables for volunteers to enjoy lunch or a break.

“I didn’t realize how dramatically different it looked,” said Arnoux. “You get so used to seeing something that after a while, that when you see the before and after and see the work, it really makes a difference.”

Arnoux arrived early in the morning on the day of the project and was pleased to find DeShong and his team already setting up. From start to finish, the project took about three hours.

“They had this down like clockwork,” said Arnoux. “It was like a professional crew. They were very thorough. I was very pleased and very impressed by the whole project.”

Though it may not seem like much, the renovations are already making a world of difference.

“We were so excited to have this done and it just really made a difference in our day-to-day just because it got that facelift,” said Arnoux.

ACAN volunteers were impressed and grateful when they arrived Monday morning.

“It's hard to find the words to adequately describe it, but it feels amazing that they chose to do this for us,” said Arnoux. “There are so many other projects that they could have done, but they chose to invest their time here.”