Once again, we did a fantastic job with Scouting for Food. This year, we maintained traffic flow and control. I know that many of our Scouts were looking forward to sorting and packing food, but we were asked to do this important task by the Arnold Food Pantry staff. Our task is not always exciting, but it is necessary, to help ensure that the neediest of families can have food on their tables, and hopefully, brighter holidays, with less worry. Your help and support makes this a reality. Thank you!
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 Saturday during the 32nd annual Scouting For Food drive. It is the third-largest collection ever recorded and highest total since 2008 when Scouting For Food collected 2,196,237 food items. That number will only continue to grow next week as MERS Missouri Goodwill, 2016 Scouting For Food sponsor, will be accepting canned good donations Nov. 20-26.
This year, our District, River Trails, collected 161,302 food items; 28,002 more than last year. In southeast Missouri, Scouts collected 133,870 items of food, a 10.2% increase over last year. Donations were delivered directly to local food pantries. Food in the St. Louis City and County was taken to local firehouses where donations were sorted and boxed. Sunset Transportation provided vehicles, drivers and equipment to transport the boxed food to the St. Louis Area Foodbank.
Scouting For Food donations will be distributed to more than 500 food pantries and food banks throughout the region. It will keep shelves stocked for weeks and in some cases months to come providing well over 500,000 meals for those in need.
