The overwhelming generosity of south suburban residents put Paul Egan in a bind.
People were dropping off carloads of donations for PAWS Tinley Park animal shelter, and Egan was running out of room for the supplies.
“I was looking out the door and saw cars lined up with donations and said I need someplace to put all this,” said Egan, who was president of PAWS Tinley Park for about 10 years before stepping down in April. “It just melted your heart to see how generous the people of the village were, but we were packed to the gills as it was with just animals and supplies.”
Nolan Rahm, a high school student from Evergreen Park, was volunteering that day, and picked a good time to ask Egan about ideas for a project that would help him become an Eagle Scout.
With space at the shelter at a premium, the answer was obvious.
Nolan, who had been volunteering at the shelter for several years, got busy sending what would end up being several hundred emails seeking donations and help from contractors.
Elk Grove Village-based Danley’s Garages was interested and asked Nolan to present plans to their team.
Nolan’s Power Point presentation, complete with background on PAWS, schematics for the proposed storage structure and a rundown of his volunteer experience there, wowed Danley’s president Uday Khedkar and his staff.
“What really sold it was just the persuasiveness of this young man,” said Khedkar, who has two rescue dogs himself. “First and foremost, he was just really impressive.”
But this was a big undertaking, Khedkar said. Danley’s typically builds residential garages between 400 to 500 square feet, and the proposed structure’s size was nearly double that. Brick isn’t typically used for the garages, but was needed for this storage facility. There were also various code approvals needed. Other contractors came on board to help or donate materials, including Ozinga Concrete, Kelly Construction, Sherwin Williams, Ace Hardware and Peace of Mind Organizer to name a few.
The finished product and the chance to help animals made it all worth it.
“We’re all pet lovers,” said Khedkar. “When we met with PAWS and saw what was going on there, there were dog food bags stacked almost to the ceiling.”
Nolan said the shelter had been losing at least $400 monthly by renting storage space.
“PAWS looks a lot nicer without the storage container directly in front and with the new building that matches and looks beautiful there,” Nolan said. “They used to have a bunch of boxes up at the windows, but we were able to move those so the existing shelter looks nicer.”
A building dedication is expected once the pandemic subsides.
The countless hours and emails Nolan spent on the project weren’t just a way to become an Eagle Scout with Oak Lawn-based Boy Scout Troop 618.
Nolan and his family have been volunteering for the shelter for several years, helping clean cages, walk dogs and foster cats and dogs. He also has three dogs, two cats and a bearded dragon — which he is taking care of for his godmother — at home.
“I knew I wanted to do something for PAWS because it is so close to my heart,” said Nolan, a senior at Evergreen Park Community High School.
Bill Sanderson, principal of Evergreen Park Community High School, who has known the Rahm family for years, said he was amazed at Nolan’s persistence.
“I thought it was incredible for a young man to take on a venture of that magnitude and be so persistent in dealing with the political side of it and adults and vendors … it really showed his desire to help,” Sanderson said. “He had to learn how to go to Tinley Park board meetings to get approval for variances and permits, he got to see from the ground floor what it takes.”
Sanderson said Nolan also has a heavy course load that includes honors classes, engineering, building and construction classes, and he’s participating in other volunteer opportunities as well.
“He doesn’t shy away from the challenge,” said Sanderson.
Another person who couldn’t be prouder of Nolan is his dad, Bradley Rahm, who said when his son started the project, many people thought it was a “long shot.”
“He never stopped, he just kept moving forward,” said Rahm. “Even when we thought it was finished, he would come and say, ‘Oh, I got another sponsor today, we are adding this or that.'”
Egan, the former PAWS president who still volunteers at the shelter, said he too was amazed at Nolan and what he had brought to the shelter.
“He’s so low-key, he never doubted it,” said Egan. “‘I’ve wanted this for so long.
“Now it’s a reality.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
