Boy Scouts Hold the 29th Annual Scouting for Food Drive

Last weekend on Nov. 16, the Boy Scouts of America had its Annual Scouting for Food Day for the St. Louis Area. Scouting for Food is a local food drive that takes place in the Greater St. Louis Area Council and the Lewis and Clark Boy Scout councils.  A week prior to the Scouting for Food Day, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts worked together in groups to pass out bags to households across the St. Louis area.  There were over one million bags passed out this year. A week later, all of the bags were collected, consolidated at local fire stations, and shipped to the St. Louis Foodbank.  

This year’s drive brought in over 2.1 million food items for the local St. Louis Foodbank and is the largest collection since the council’s record of 2.2 million in 2008.  It is estimated that over 40,000 Scouts and volunteers across the area provided manpower for the drive.  The Foodbank then distributes the food out to more than 500 hunger relief organizations in the bi-state area.  In the Lewis and Clark council, the food was directly taken to the food pantries, shelters, and other programs.

           Once the food arrives at the Foodbank, volunteers then pack the boxes of food into pallets that can be stored.  If any boxes are packed wrong then the volunteers have to repack the boxes.

           “My favorite part is correcting wrong pallets of food that are sent in from the fire houses where the food is put into boxes. It’s fun to sort and organize boxes that are done wrong, and it’s cool for everyone to work together and fix the pallets,” said Eagle Scout and Pattonville student Ryan Stoeckel.

           Stoeckel has been involved with Scouts since he was a young boy.

           “I have participated in Scouting for Food for eleven years, since I was a Cub Scout. It is something that is fun and self-fulfilling to participate in. To know that you are helping collect food for those that need just feels good,” said Stoeckel.

           Service to others is what the Boy Scouts are all about.  The Boy Scouts have a slogan, “Do a Good Turn Daily”refers back to Cub Scouts that had to perform an act of kindness so they could flip their upside down rank patch right-side up, which is where the ‘turn’ part comes from.

           “It’s our annual good turn,” said Eagle Scout and Engineering Principles teacher Brad Ziegler.

           Ziegler who is a lifetime member of the Eagle Scout Association grew up serving others as a volunteer.

           “Joy came to me from seeing people have fun,” said Ziegler.

           Scouting for Food is a pillar of the Greater St. Louis Area Council’s service to the public.  It not only helps people in need, but it provides youth across the region a way to serve others and to do their good turn.

By: Zack Becker  Online Editor