Tis' the season of giving and 10 year old Blake Juntunen of North Road, Scottsville is hoping to someday share his giving spirit with people around the world. For now, Blake is happy to know that many families in the local area will benefit from his efforts this winter. Juntunen single handedly organized a community service project he called, the canned food pyramid, collecting over 175 canned goods that he then donated to the Mumford Food Coalition Pantry. Elmira Alexander, director of the Mumford pantry, said she has never met a young man quite like Juntunen, and was astonished at the sizable collection of food he donated to the pantry. After speaking with Juntunen, Alexander said, "Others need to know about this boy and what he is doing to help local families." The Juntunen family moved from Dansville to Scottsville a year ago. The youngest of four children, Blake, a fifth grader at T.J. Connor Elementary School, submitted his plans for the project to Buster’s Market store manager, Drew DePuy, and asked for his cooperation so that the canned food pyramid could be set up in the store. DePuy told him to develop a plan, including a design for the receptacle that would collect the canned goods and design for the actual pyramid. "True to his word, Blake was back in a short time with a very attractive plan for the project," DePuy said, adding that, at that point, he fully supported the boy’s idea. In his plan, Juntunen pitched the marketing idea that the canned food pyramid would lead to increased sales for Buster’s since people wishing to donate to it would come in to the store to purchase their canned food items. He also earned cooperation from the Scottsville Library for a collection spot there as well. The young boy also visited homes in his neighborhood asking them to donate to the project. As the donations came in, the pyramid got taller, 175 cans worth of height. "It was more than I thought it would be. Mrs. Alexander was really happy and I was really happy to help so many people," Juntunen commented. Alexander appreciates the donation and says it will help the pantry to fill the every growing needs of area families and the elderly who depend on the pantry for food, especially during the heating season. As director of the food coalition for many years, Alexander says she’s been touched by the generosity of many people who have organized food collections and made donations to the pantry, but adds that this boy is different. "When you talk to Blake, it’s like talking to an adult. He wants to make this kind of thing his life’s work, which is so unusual to see in such a young boy," Alexander remarked. DePuy called his enthusiasm, "unparalleled," and said he’s not seen anything like it from even many adults. "He (Juntunen) did all of the work for the whole project. I told him that someday he’d be a successful entrepreneur," DePuy commented. His parents, Brian and Gale Juntunen, say their son has always shown compassion for those in need. It’s not unusual for him to save his allowance to purchase a special gift or food for someone else. Recently, Juntunen committed to sponsoring a Compassion Child from Guatemala. He uses his own allowance money to pay the monthly sponsorship and enjoys the regular correspondence he has with the boy who, Juntunen says, is now able to buy animals that will help him make a living and provide food. "I plan to start a restaurant someday and with the money I earn from that I want to go around the world building houses and churches for people who are in need. I want to be able to let some of the families eat free at the restaurant if they can’t afford it," Juntunen explained. Pretty hefty ambitions for a ten year old, yet his mother says she believes her son will accomplish his goals someday. In the meantime, Juntunen says he will probably conduct another food collection in the future. "I get a lot of joy from making other people happy," he said. With a heart for people that big, the world is in good hands and remember the name, Blake Juntunen, for you are certain to hear that name again and again.
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