Food Drive: "Scouting for Food" Collection Day

   Across the nation this week, Scouts are collecting food for the hungry and needy. Scouting For Food is the largest single food drive in the Bay Area. The Boy Scouts refer to this as their "Good Turn Day" when thousands of Scouts turn out for a single event to help others in need.

   In the San Francisco Bay Area over 3,000 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Explorers participated last year and more are expected to join in the fight against hunger this year. Nearly 118,000 pounds or 59 tons of food was collected by Scouts last year locally. Food distribution centers have come to rely on this huge influx of food right before the holidays. Thanks to the Scouts and your food donations, many people who would otherwise go hungry will have food for the holidays.

   This past Saturday, your local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts distributed either informative door hangers or special collection bags to porches and front steps of residences all around the Bay Area and Northern California.

   This Saturday, November 19th, the Scouts will return to the neighborhoods that they visited last weekend to collect the food donations and take them to the designated collection sites, where the food is stored, boxed and transported to local food banks (in this case, the donations received in Livermore will go to the Alameda County Community Food Bank ) for distribution to people in need (such as sick and home-bound seniors, families in crisis, the homeless, jobless adults, and others who need food). In addition, local Lions clubs and the Scouts have joined forces to collect used prescription and reading glasses to be given to the needy in developing countries.

   To help with this worthwhile cause, please place your donation of non-perishable goods in a recycled bag or box and place it outside of your home in a visible location (near the street, if you please) by 9:00am this Saturday morning. Please, no glass containers or perishable food donations (no frozen foods, open containers, etc.). Any donations of used eyeglasses may be placed on top of the food in the bag or box.  Suggested food item donations: Canned Goods (Tuna or Chicken, Fruit, Vegetables, Soups or Chili, Spaghetti or Ravioli), Peanut Butter, Cereal or Pop Tarts, Pancake or Muffin Mixes, Crackers or Cookies, Instant Soup, Rice or Beans, Pasta, Powdered Juice or Milk, Dried Fruits, Snack Bars, etc.  Any other non perishable food item.

For more information about Scouting for Food in Alameda County, please contact the San Francisco Bay Area Council at (510) 577-9000, visit their web site at www.SFBAC.org or check them out on Facebook @ www.Facebook.com/SFBAC .