BOY SCOUTS, OTHERS FIGHT HUNGER WITH FOOD DRIVE

Boy Scouts in Southeast Missouri hope to help hungry people, especially children, through their annual Scouting for Food drive which begins today.

Also today, Alpha Chi Omega and Lambda Chi Alpha organizations will be collecting items for their annual food drive.

And Sunday, local churches are participating in the annual Crop Walk to help alleviate world hunger.

Boy Scouts throughout the region will be delivering plastic bags to doorsteps today. Individuals are asked during the week to fill the bags with canned or boxed food items.

Scouts will be back next Saturday, Nov. 1, to collect the food.

In the local district, approximately 18 different Boy Scout units will participate, said Charlie Oxley, Scouting for Food district chairman. Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Explorer Scouts and Varsity Scouts will all help.

Last year, the drive collected about 42,000 cans of food. They year before, about 35,000 cans were collected.

"I would hope this year to increase it once more," Oxley said. "I would like to see 50,000 or more cans. We should be able to do that."

In Cape Girardeau the collection station will be at Arena Park. Scouts will be on hand until 4 or 5 p.m. collecting the items. Food will be given to FISH, Salvation Army, the Gibson Recovery Center and the Women's Safe House.

In other communities, like Jackson, Perryville, Scott City and Marble Hill, items collected will be donated to their own food pantries.

Only non-perishable, canned food is requested. High-protein, nutritious foods such as canned tuna, peanut butter, beef stew, chili, canned meats, canned vegetables and canned fruit are recommended.

The "Scouting for Food" drive began in 1985 and has since become the nation's largest single-day food drive.

On Oct. 18, about 60 men from Lamba Chi Alpha fraternity and 100 women from Alpha Chi Omega sorority distributed 7,000 bags throughout Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

Today they will be collecting the donations.

Food will be distributed to the Jackson Ministerial Alliance and the FISH.

"We do this to help the needy," said Jacob Shreve with Lambda Chi Alpha. "It is the national philanthropy for the fraternity and our fifth year to participate."

The goal is to raise 15,000 pounds of food. Last year, the drive collected nearly 5,000 pounds of food.

The collection point for the fraternity and sorority today is at Capaha Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"We have had a lot of community support," Shreve said. "Restaurants have donated food and businesses have donated money. We think we can make our goal."

On Sunday, the annual Crop Walk will be held at 3 p.m. in Cape Girardeau County Park South, shelter 20.

Money raised from the Crop Walk '97 will be used for relief of world hunger.

Many local churches will be represented in the interdenominational event.

Pam Pratt with Crop Walk '97 said 25 percent of the money collected will go to FISH for local hunger relief. The other 75 percent goes to designated world hunger missions.

"We are asking everyone who is participating in the walk to raise $100 in support. Most people have the support of churches and work," she said.

Crop Walk is an international event, which has been going on for at least 25 years.

Individuals interested in contributing to Crop Walk '97 may contact Pratt at 334-0423.