As summer drew to a close, Aquia District Scouts BSA focused their efforts on helping Stafford Community residents by holding a second No Contact Food Drive on August 22, 2020, due to the planning and leadership of Aquia District Scouter Laura Curran. Scouts and their families suspended their preparations for the school year for a moment and instead did their Good Turn by collecting 4,353 pounds of food to help replenish the dwindling supplies of local Stafford County pantries.
Like the Scouts BSA food drive service project in May, the goal was to support local pantries and keep Scouts, their families, pantry volunteers and donors all safe by maintaining safe physical distancing. Scouts were asked to help in whatever way they deemed appropriate for their family’s circumstances. When Scouts answered the call, they spread the word of the event virtually, shared flyers with neighbors and donned masks to collect donations from doorsteps and driveways. Some Scout units worked with their neighborhood homeowners’ associations to share information and created neighborhood collections points. The drop off point for residents who heard about the drive was operated with safety of all at the forefront.
Stafford pantries were grateful for the donations, as the need to help those affected by the pandemic continues. The pantries are expecting a prolonged demand due to corona-virus related job loss and furloughs and still need support to continue their fight against food insecurity. Donations of food via food drives are the main source of non-perishables for these food pantries.
This coming November, Aquia District Scouts BSA will be conducting “Scouting For Food,” a national food drive Scout BSA campaign. For this event held annually in November, Scouts “Do a Good Turn” to help Stafford County and Dumfries food pantries stock their shelves, not just for the holidays, but for the months beyond.
This year’s Scouting For Food may look a little different with the added emphasis on the safety of all participants. However, Aquia District Scouts BSA will continue to do their part to meet the needs of Stafford County, their efforts perpetuated by them living the Scout Oath for service to others by “Helping Other People At All times.”
