Once a foster child in Rockingham County, 17-year-old Josh Brewer refurnishes new visitations rooms for his Eagle Scout Project.
Wentworth, NC (September 2, 2022) – Children in the Rockingham County Foster Care system now have a warm and inviting place to visit with their birth parents thanks to the actions of a former foster child. Joshua Brewer chose to refurnish the County’s family visitation rooms in the new Veteran and Family Services Building for his Eagle Scout Project in hopes to offer a more comfortable space for both children and their parents during visiting hours.
Joshua Daniel Brewer (Josh) entered into the foster system at the age of five. While in county custody, Josh recalled being in rooms that were dark and uncomfortable during his visits with his birth father. Through the help of countless individuals, Josh was later adopted, just weeks after turning eight-years-old. Nearly a decade later, Josh told his adoptive father, who he calls Dad, he wanted to make a difference for the community that helped him.
“I wanted to create a space where kids felt comfortable.” Josh said when giving a tour of one of the visitation rooms. “There’s toys, books, puzzles and a DVD player with kid friendly movies for them to play with.”
“These are the things that can break the ice between children and their birth parents,” Services Program Manager, Cathy Murray said on the tour, “These visitations can be challenging but thanks to Josh, families have the opportunity to experience organic interactions like reading books together, watching a movie or even sharing a meal.”
Murray went on to say multiple families have already benefited from these rooms. The project in total took about a year to complete because of departmental moves and relocations alongside upgrades to the Veteran and Family Services Building. Josh and his dad both said the longer timeline was a “blessing in disguise” and gave them more time to brainstorm, gather and supply all the materials they needed to create the welcoming space.
Rockingham County Government is grateful to this 17-year-old, his Eagle Scout Project and his dedicated service to giving back.
