Scouts begin annual effort to help hungry
SIKESTON - Motorists should slow down and keep their eyes open in residential areas for the next two Saturdays as area Cub and Boy Scouts will hit the streets for the 2003 Scouting for Food drive.
"We go out and we put a bag on each door and then we come back the next Saturday," explained Derek Burch, 9, who has already participated in two of the annual food drives. "We take the bag and the food goes to the Boy Scouts and we give it to people who can not afford food."
Nick Roberts of Sikeston, district executive for the Cherokee District of the Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, asked motorists to exercise extra caution during the next two Saturdays. "Watch out for Scouts as they're crossing streets," he cautioned.
Collectors avoid crossing major highways on foot and keep their eyes open in subdivisions for motorists, according to Michael Hasty, 17, an Eagle Scout member of Troop 59 who has participated in eight of the food drives during his 10 years of Scouting. "They're always careful, and so are we."
Roberts said the Cherokee District, which includes 40 Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops in Scott, Mississippi, New Madrid, Stoddard, Pemiscot and Dunklin counties, will distribute over 30,000 bags Saturday. A total of more than one million plastic shopping bags will be hung on doorknobs by the entire Greater St. Louis Area Council on "Bag Out Day."
"Bag In Day" is one week later on Nov. 22 when residents are asked to place their contribution of non-perishable cans and packages of food in the Scouting for Food bags and place them near their front door by 9 a.m. for Scouts to pick up. "That way we don't miss anybody," Hasty said. "It's always bad when we are driving through a neighborhood we've already collected in and see a bag."
The best part "is getting to collect the food cans," Derek said. "I know that I'm doing something good for people."
Since its beginning in 1985, the Scouting for Food program has grown into the nation's most successful single-day food drive. "We're proud of that and thankful all the people donate to this drive," Hasty said.
"It's a councilwide project that's been going on for 18 years - this will actually be the 19th year for this project," said Roberts. "The project is so that older Scouts and younger Scouts alike can participate in a day of service to help needy families in our area. One of the principles of Scouting is to be helpful, so this project goes hand-in-hand with that principle."
This is the ninth year the Cherokee District has participated in the program, Roberts said. "As a Scout I participated for four years. This is my fourth year as district executive," he recalled.
Last year alone, area Scouts brought in over 26,000 cans of food and organizers are hoping for another record year in collections. "Since 1995 when we began participating in the program we've collected over 190,000 cans of food," Roberts said.
The Cherokee district donates to 17 food banks in the five-county area. "Whichever community the Scouts are collecting food from, the food goes to that community," Roberts said. "All the food in Sikeston will be given to the Bootheel Food Bank."
"It does stay locally," Hasty said. "It goes to needy families in our community."
In the Cherokee District, the collection, sorting, packaging and delivery all takes place during Bag In Day. "Its all done on that Saturday," said Roberts. "They're finished by 3 o'clock."
While he enjoyed participating in the event as a Scout, it wasn't until the sorting and packaging phase that Roberts realized how big an impact the program has. "You could see it was going a long way to help a lot of families."
The entire program fills over 100 semi-trailers with food, Roberts said - all from a single day's collections.
For those who want to not only participate but go the extra step, the Scouts have come up with a list of items to make a "perfect bag."
A "perfect bag" includes: two cans of hearty soup, stew or chili; one can of fruit; one can of 100 percent pure fruit juice; two cans of tuna, chicken or salmon; one can of vegetables; one can of tomato or pasta sauce; one canned meal; one can of beans and one can of evaporated milk.
"That was suggested by Roberta Duyff," Roberts said. "She's a registered dietitian and author of the book, 'The American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.'"
Derek encouraged area residents to participate if able. "They can help the Boy Scouts," he said. "They can make a big difference for the people who do not have food."
This year the program goes online for the first time as well. The Website, www.scoutingforfood.com, includes details about the program including a suggested shopping list and a countdown clock for cans collected.