This weekend, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Venture Scouts in Central Virginia will take to the streets to collect donations for the annual Scouting for Food drive, presented by TowneBank. Now in its twenty-ninth year, this Saturday, November 5, troops will collect nonperishable, shelf-stable items food items from doorsteps across the region to donate to FeedMore.
“We are very appreciative of the continued support we receive from the Boy Scouts, TowneBank, Food Lion, and our community at large during the Scouting for Food drive,” said Tim McDermott, Chief Development Officer at FeedMore. “With nearly 200,000 of our neighbors not having enough to eat, these donations will help us continue to provide healthy food for wholesome meals through our network of partner agencies and programs that are dedicated to feeding children, families and seniors who struggle with hunger. And with Thanksgiving just a few short weeks away, the Scouting for Food drive helps us brighten the holiday season for our neighbors in their times of need.”
This year, nearly 250,000 households received a bag, which includes detailed instructions on what to donate and when the bags will be collected. Residents are kindly requested to place the donation-filled bags on their doorstep by 9:30 a.m. this Saturday for the Scouts to pick up.
Individuals who do not receive a bag, but wish to participate in the Scouting for Food drive, are encouraged to drop off their donated items at any TowneBank Richmond branch, FeedMore or Heart of Virginia Council of the Boy Scouts headquarters at 4015 Fitzhugh Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23230.
“In its twenty-ninth year, Scouting For Food helps connect Scouts with their immediate community and instills in them a sense of service,” said Brad Nesheim, Scout Executive for the Heart of Virginia Council. “While each Scout Troop conducts service projects throughout the year, this is the one Council-wide service project to get everyone working together across our twenty-four counties. We anticipate 8,000 Scouts, leaders and parents will be working on this project. It is also amazing to see they nineteen or twenty tractor trailer loads of food being delivered to FeedMore on the collection weekend from this project.”
Last year, the Scouting for Food drive donated more than 184,375 pounds to FeedMore, which was distributed through its network of nearly 300 partner agencies and used in FeedMore’s Community Kitchen to prepare nutritious meals for children, seniors and homebound neighbors who face hunger.
This year, FeedMore and The Heart of Virginia Boy Scout Council hope to collect 200,000 pounds. For more information on the Scouting for Food drive, please visit FeedMore.org/Scouting.
