Scouting for food drive marks 40th year as Southeast Missouri Scouts launch annual collection
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — The Shawnee District of the Greater St. Louis Area Council will launch its 40th Annual Scouting for Food drive Nov. 15–22, marking four decades of what is recognized as the largest single-day canned food collection in the United States.
Over the drive’s 39-year history, Scouts have gathered more than 60 million cans of food to support families in need. Last year, Scouts across the Greater St. Louis Area Council collected 1.5 million cans. This year, about 20,000 Scouts and adult volunteers across 63 counties in Missouri and Illinois are expected to participate, helping stock more than 60 local food pantries during the holiday season.
The campaign begins Saturday, Nov. 15, when Scouts will deliver Scouting for Food bags to households throughout the region. Residents wishing to participate are encouraged to fill the bags with nonperishable items—such as canned goods, boxed foods, and items packaged in plastic—and place them outside their homes by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22. Scouts will collect, sort and deliver donations to partner food pantries.
Those who do not receive a bag or need an alternative donation option may drop food items at the Ritter Scout Service Center, 3000 Gordonville Road in Cape Girardeau, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For assistance, call 573-335-3346.
About the Shawnee District
The Shawnee District serves Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry, northern Stoddard and northern Scott counties, providing Scouting programs to more than 1,200 youth and preparing them to “Be Prepared” for life. To learn more or to join Scouting, visit Be A Scout Home Page – Boy Scouts of America.
