Boy Scouts gear up for food drive

Scouting for Food, the Boy Scouts’ annual food drive, will be held in November as usual, the Greater St. Louis Area Council of Boy Scouts of America announced.

Nov. 14, thousands of Scouts will deliver blue Scouting for Food bags throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

A week later, Nov. 21, Scouts will return to collect the bags, filled with donated canned goods and other nonperishable items.

Scouts will take donations directly to local food pantries.

Virtual donations are also accepted. Text “SCOUTFOOD” to 91999. A $1 donation equals four meals, and all monetary donations go directly to the Southeast Missouri Food bank.

Canned food donations may also be taken to any Goodwill store location between Nov. 22 and 28.

“The perfect bag would include canned fruits, vegetables, soups, cereal, peanut butter, tuna, chicken, pasta, pasta sauce, and meals in a box,” the release stated.

Last year, Scouting for Food gathered more than 1.9 million items of food, which provided more than 1 million meals for the needy in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and the St. Louis metro area.

More information is at www.stlbsa.org.