Toastworthy Teens - Ben Carpenter

Ben Carpenter, Ben's Mends

Ben Carpenter is a busy guy. When the high school baccalaureate student isn’t captaining his wheelchair soccer team (the Tampa Thunder), or volunteering for Junior Achievement, Shriner’s Hospitals, and other groups, he’s working his way through thousands of damaged books that have made their way to his garage.

Yes, Ben is a voracious reader, but the books are there for more than his perusal; through his Ben’s Mends organization, the 16-year-old repairs and donates them to schools, homeless shelters, assisted living facilities, and any other places that need them. 

Ben, who credits his inspiration to both his parents and his spinal muscular dystrophy, founded Ben’s Mends after asking himself, How can I bring something back to the community and combine it with my love of reading?

Ben’s words not only echo my own reason for creating the Solid series; they also remind me to keep asking how I can do and be more. Thanks for inspiring me, Ben!

Meet Ben here:

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=128676

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