Boy Scouts' campaign for food donations will begin Saturday

The bags are ready, the boys are alerted. The Scouting for Food campaign starts Saturday.

An estimated 30,000 Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and their 10,000 troop leaders in 37 counties in eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois will deliver bags to thousands of houses and apartments in the region. The Scouts hope residents will fill the bags with canned goods. The bags will be picked up Nov. 17.

The groceries will be delivered to area food banks and free pantries within 48 hours.

Scouts from Jackson will be sorting donations for food pantries at the New McKendree United Methodist Church/Cox Memorial Hall. In Cape Girardeau, Scouts will do similar work at Arena Park's 4-H pavilion.

Bill Crowell said the Scouts will get assistance from members of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity at Southeast Missouri State University.

"They cover an area and help out in the food collection area," said Crowell, senior executive of the Shawnee District, which includes Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties as well as Scott City and Chaffee in Scott County and Advance in Stoddard County.

The extra manpower will be helpful Nov. 17 as units deliver the bags of food to sorting points.

"They don't even have to get out of their cars," he said. "We take them, empty out the bags, put everything in boxes, get it sorted and divide it among all the food pantries."

The food goes to five Cape Girardeau food banks -- FISH, Salvation Army, Gibson Recovery Center, Social Catholic Ministries and Red Star Baptist Church. In Jackson, donations go to the Ministerial Alliance and the Revival Center.

"All the smaller communities have their own food banks," Crowell said.

The food drive can be physically demanding. There are no badges for the work.

"But the kids love it. They get out and run around and stuff. They love doing a good turn," Crowell said.

The bags of canned goods should be put outside by 9 a.m. Nov. 17; Scouts will pick them up by 1 p.m. If for some reason your bag is missed that day, call the Scout office at 335-3346 by 2 p.m. In the week following the campaign, those who want to drop off additional food can do so at any Regions Bank location. For Scouting program details, visit www.stlbsa.org or www.scoutingforfood.com.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127