Annual ‘Scouting for Food' Drive Set to Kick Off

An opportunity to help the needy during Thanksgiving and Holiday Season. Notices are being distributed the weekend of Nov. 5. Food Items collection day is Saturday, Nov. 12. Non-perishable foods only please.

'Scouting for Food' is a food collection effort carried out by Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. This noble event helps local food pantries to feed tens of thousands of local residents in need.

It is up to us at local community level to make Scouting for Food a success. Hunger is a problem we can do something about by working together.

Southington scouts are conducting their annual food drive to benefit local food banks and pantries. If you received a bag or notice that food will be collected at your home, then please place a bag containing nonperishable food items (nonperishable food items in cans or boxes only, no glass containers please) on your front porch or step by 9 a.m. on Nov. 12. The bags will be picked up before noon.

Notices are being distributed the weekend of Nov. 5. Boy Scouts will carry all collected food items to the local collection site and sort by categories to distribute to local food pantries.

Last year, over 640 Scouts in the 5 towns of the Sleeping Giant district (Southington, Wallingford, Meriden, North Haven and Hamden) collected nearly 33,600 pounds of food. The need this year is especially high.

Collection Sites information is outlined below:
Southington
First Baptist Church
581 Meriden Avenue
Benefits: Bread for Life/Southington Community Service Food Pantry

Wallingford
46 North Plains Industrial Road
Benefits: Master’s Manna Food Pantry

Meriden
Salvation Army
23 St. Casmir Drive
Benefits: Salvation Army

North Haven
North Haven Congregational Church
28 Church St.
Benefits: North Haven Food Pantry

Hamden
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church
2819 Whitney Ave.
BenefitsHamden Food and Fuel Bank

Participating in this annual food drive is part of the Sleeping Giant District’s commitment to the Good Turn for America program. This program is a national call to service by the Boy Scouts of America to address the issues of hunger, homelessness, and poor health in our country.

For more information about the food drive, please contact the chairperson, Jim Racca at (203) 237-7556 or jamesracca@sbcglobal.net.

To join a Scout unit, visit www.BeAScout.org. For more information on Scouting, please visit http://www.ctyankeecouncil.org or call the Connecticut Yankee Council, Boy Scouts of America at (800) 333-7905.

"The greatest privilege God has given to us, is to serve God with good works and this privilege is a result of God's Grace. Let us stick together and work sincerely to make this event a great success and help the needy!"

Please do not hang any food bags on your mail boxes. If you did not receive a notice or missed the pickup for your area, you may bring your food donations to the collection site on Nov. 12 between 9 a.m. and Noon at First Baptist Church, 581 Meriden Ave. All food collected in Southington will stay in town.

(Submitted By: Joanne Kelleher, Communication Chair, Sleeping Giant District BSA and Linda Mendelsohn and Manmohan Singh Bharara (Manny), Board Members, Southington Bread for Life.)