November 23, 2004 > Boy Scouts Worked to Collect 200,000 Pounds of Food in One Day for Food Bank

by Kari Martell

"Be prepared" is a motto the Boy Scouts take seriously as they helped Bay Area Food Banks gear up for the busy holiday season by conducting a food drive to stock their shelves. In its 17th year, "Scouting for Food" took place on November 20th and involved more than 40,000 Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Venturers and Explorers throughout the Bay Area.

The Boy Scouts, Marines and hundreds of volunteers sorted the food at the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland so that it will be ready to distribute to clients in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"The Boy Scout food drive is a great example of kids helping kids, as 40 percent of the 500,000 low-income Bay Area residents who rely on local food banks for assistance each month are children," said Suzan Bateson, executive director of the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

The Boy Scouts from 10 Bay Area Councils collected bags of food from residents throughout the Bay Area on November 20. Residents who didn't receive a bag on can still participate by dropping off food at a red food drive barrel in any Safeway or Albertsons store, or by donating online at www.accfb.org.

"The Boy Scouts want to address the problem of children going to bed hungry right here in one of our nation's wealthiest areas," said Don McChesney, San Francisco Bay Area scout executive. "Please join us in this fight against hunger by filling a bag and joining our food drive."

The food will be distributed to more than 1,900 food pantries, children's programs, shelters, soup kitchens, residential programs and other emergency food providers. To learn more, call (800) 870-FOOD (3663) or visit www.bayareahunger.org.