Did you know that more than thirty million Americans, including six million children, go hungry at some time every month? That today, there are more hungry people in our country than at any time during the past forty years? Emergency food providers across Maryland report an increased demand for services over the last three years, increasing their distribution from five percent to forty percent a year since 2000.
The National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America proudly provides continuing support to the National Scouting for Food Good Turn. This program embodies one the highest ideals of scouting—service to the community—by meeting the local needs of the hungry through the practical application of the “Daily Good Turn.”
This year’s Scouting for Food Program is just around the corner. Local Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturing Crew members will be all over town placing bags on neighborhood doors on November 7. On November 14, the scouts will be back out collecting the bags, full of donated non-perishable items, and then delivering them to local food banks. Your locally donated food items stay in your community; scouts in Thurmont will deliver the collected food to the Thurmont Food Bank to help our community.
Food banks all over the country rely on this annual food drive to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday months, when food demands are the greatest. You can help by filling up the bag you find on your door on November 7, and then placing it outside your front door on November 14. The scouts will do the rest for you. Thanks in advance for helping out the Scout’s Good Turn Program and helping your community.
Not sure what you should donate? According to our friends at local food banks, some of the most highly needed items are: canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter); soups and stews (beef stew, chili, meat-based soups); 100% fruit juices (all sizes); grains (pasta, whole grain pasta, rice, brown rice, boxed macaroni and cheese); cereals (multi-grain, low sugar cereals, oatmeal); canned vegetables; canned fruits; condiments; and hygiene products (diapers, toilet paper, tissues, soap, toothpaste).
