Scouts Collect Nearly 2.2 Million Items During Scouting for Food

Story contributed by Christine Rasure, Public Relations Director at the Greater St. Louis Area Council.

The holidays will be a little brighter for many families in need throughout the region as the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America collected 2,195,060 items of food during the 32nd annual Scouting For Food drive. It is the third-largest collection ever recorded for local efforts and the highest total since 2008 when Scouting For Food collected 2,196,237 food items.

Over one million Scouting For Food bags were delivered in the St. Louis area, and residents responded to the call, leaving the bags filled with items such as canned goods on their doorsteps for Scouts to pick them up.

The largest one-day food drive in the Boy Scouts of America, Scouts throughout St. Louis, Southeast Missouri, and Southern Illinois regularly collect approximately 2 million donated food items during Scouting For Food. The food is delivered to a network of about 500 food pantries throughout the region and provides more than 500,000 meals annually for families in need.

“Participating in the Scouting For Food program is a proud tradition for our community,” said Ronald Green, Scout Executive/CEO of the Greater St. Louis Area Council. “We appreciate the community’s generosity year after year. The food drive is important not only because it helps those in need, but it also teaches our children the value of serving others.”

Scouting For Food comes at an important time of year. As colder temperatures settle in, many families are forced to cut their food budget in order to keep the heat on. 

Canned good donations in the St. Louis area are picked up by Scouts and taken to local fire stations where the items are sorted and boxed. Sunset Transportation, Inc., provides vehicles, equipment, and volunteer drivers to then transport the donations to the St. Louis Area FoodBank.

In communities outside of St. Louis, Scouts deliver donations directly to local food pantries. Within 48 hours of the Scouts’ pick-up, the first donations are on food pantry shelves, ready to feed the hungry.

Lake Minnetonka District – Scouting For Food – April 23-31, 2017

Scouting Newsroom would like to thank Christine Rasure of the Greater St. Louis Area Council for submitting this story. 

The post Scouts Collect Nearly 2.2 Million Items During Scouting for Food appeared first on Scouting Newsroom.

Scouts Collect Nearly 2.2 Million Items During Scouting for Food