Area scouts to collect food for SERVE

Boy Scouts and family members sort food after a past drive. Fundraising coordinator Scout Gibson said past years' takes have topped 4 tons.
Boy Scouts and family members sort food after a past drive. Fundraising coordinator Scout Gibson said past years' takes have topped 4 tons.

Area Boy and Cub Scouts are prepared to help feed the hungry through their annual food drive.

On March 3, scouts will be stationed outside Walmart, C&R Market and Mosers to collect food, toiletries and other goods for SERVE, Inc. Others will be at the Scout cabin in Veterans Park to collect items from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

"Most of the different units in the area get together and break up the work," said Scout Gibson, fundraising coordinator for Boy Scout Troop 50. "I like that the whole scouting community comes together, and the packs and troops work together to help the community and those in need."

She's been involved in local scouting for nine years, thanks to her two sons, and said the drive has been an annual event since before her time.

"We consistently raise about 8,000 pounds of food and items," Gibson said.

The drive's highest take was in 2015, when generous Callawegians donated 8,700 pounds.

Items accepted include canned and boxed goods, toiletries (such as toothbrushes and deodorant), paper towels and toilet paper. Scouts will hand out flyers listing SERVE's most-wanted goods, Gibson said.

Between 30 and 40 members of several Fulton-area troops participate each year. Gibson said troops from around the county are also welcome.

"We usually have quite a fun day at the cabin sorting food," Gibson said. "Sometimes the older Boy Scouts end up working with the Cub Scouts. It's fun to see them interact."

She said the local troops choose to support SERVE because the organization maximizes their drive's impact.

"I think that they consistently give to the majority of Callaway County," Gibson said. "They cover a lot of families consistently in Callaway County."

Participating scouts learn valuable lessons, she added.

"I hope they're learning that it can be an enjoyable experience to give back to their community, and that they can have fun in the process," she said. "In some years past, we've even had groups go to SERVE and help unload the truck and stock the shelves. They get a better idea for how much they really are affecting the community."

Some local scouts were recognized Monday for their hard work. During Eagle Scout Day in Jefferson City, the 1,412 Missouri Scouts who became Eagle Scouts in 2017-18 had a chance to attend a special ceremony at the state capitol.

According to Douglas Callahan, scout executive for the Great Rivers Council, six Callaway County scouts earned the rank in 2017-18. However, to his knowledge, none RSVP'd to attend the event.