Scout troops collect 1,081 pounds of food for SERVE

Local Boy Scout Troops 50 and 250 recently collected 1,081 pounds in food donations during their "Scouting for Food" fundraiser to benefit the SERVE, Inc., food pantry. The troops have also raised more than $1,100 in monetary donations for the pantry.
Local Boy Scout Troops 50 and 250 recently collected 1,081 pounds in food donations during their "Scouting for Food" fundraiser to benefit the SERVE, Inc., food pantry. The troops have also raised more than $1,100 in monetary donations for the pantry.

The contents of the food pantry at SERVE, Inc., are a little more bountiful these days, thanks to local Boy Scout Troops 50 and 250.

The troops recently collected 1,081 pounds of food - worth $1,880.94 - during their "Scouting for Food" fundraiser March 6.

"This allows us to provide food for our clients and to supplement emergency (food) boxes for our bigger families," said Diane Henry, client services lead with SERVE. "We're very appreciative because we haven't been able to do a lot of our big drives because of COVID.

"The drives that are going on right now are important in keeping our shelves stocked."

Henry explained even though recent government relief efforts have helped ease demand at the food pantry, the need is always present.

"Early on during COVID we were super-busy," Henry said. "Right now, things have calmed down a little bit because of the stimulus checks and food stamps, but we still have large numbers of people that come through each month."

Scout Gibson - the committee chair for troops 50 and 250 - stressed how critical it use for troop members to grasp the significance of the fundraiser.

"It means a lot for us, especially with the Cub Scout packs, to see from an early age how important it is to give back to the community," Gibson said. "It also helps, from year to year, how they see the impact differently."

The troops delivered the donations to SERVE and even helped stock the pantry's shelves, Gibson said. Members also perform service hours at the food pantry.

Gibson noted how pivotal it was for the troops to complete the food fundraiser last year before the COVID-19 shutdown.

"Thank goodness we had already done that, and that we could help SERVE in that way," she said.

In addition to the food donations, Troops 50 and 250 have raised $1,152.02 in monetary donations for SERVE and the food pantry. That portion of the fundraiser continues through this Saturday, and donations can be made by visiting givebutter.com/scoutingforfood/donate.