2021 Scouting for Food Results
With 35 units reporting, we are pleased to announce that 82,592 items were collected and delivered to food pantries throughout South Jersey in the month of November! Thanks to the 840 BSA-registered Scouts and adults and 474 friends and family members who volunteered to make this happen!
The Need is Now
The Scouting for Food Drive began as a National Good Turn in 1988 and the tradition continues every year at the Garden State Council!
The food drive, which collects non-perishable items, provides much-needed resources to help fight hunger in our communities. One out of five children and one out of every twelve households with seniors go hungry in New Jersey and an estimated 900,000 people rely on food banks just to survive.
All Scouting units are encouraged to participate in the annual Scouting for Food Drive community service initiative.
Spread the Word
Units distribute Scouting for Food participation requests to the households in their community, typically on the second weekend in November.
They can spread the word through their Unit social media accounts and other community channels to inform their neighbors about the need for shelf-stable food and paper product donations. Post your pics and tag @GardenStateBSA and use the hashtags #ScoutingForFood or #GardenStateScoutsHelp. Show South Jersey the love our Scouting community can provide!
Then, Scouts return the following week to collect the donations, sort through to eliminate expired food, and donate the good stuff to your local food pantry!
Track your Action
During this process, Scout units should track and report:
- Number of registered and non-registered youth and adults volunteering, and for how many hours;
- The food pantry or organization receiving your donations;
- The number of items you donate; and the total number of service hours (number of hours multiplied by the number of volunteers).
If you have questions or concerns, please email the Scouting for Food committee at scoutingforfood(at)gardenstatescouting.org.