Cynthia Griffiths

Local Scouts Ask for Public to Support Doorstep Food Collection Drive

Annual drive steps up efforts to address unprecedented food insecurity

October 24, 2025 – Washington, DC For 39 years, Scouts across the Washington, DC metropolitan area have united to fight hunger through their annual “Scouting for Food” campaign. This fall, the Scouting America National Capital Area Council (NCAC) will once again mobilize thousands of youth and families to collect food donations for neighbors facing food insecurity.

In advance of the collection day, Scouts will distribute notes on doors to inform residents about the drive. On Saturday, November 8, 2025, Scouts will return to neighborhoods to gather non-perishable food items left out by community members. Residents who receive a notice on their door are encouraged to leave their donations in bags or boxes on their doorsteps for easy pickup.

This service project reflects the values of Scouting America, especially the commitment to “help other people at all times,” as stated in the Scout Oath and “Do a Good Turn Daily.” It’s a hands-on way for young people to live out the principles of service, kindness, and civic responsibility.

“In 2024, our Scouts collected more than 468,000 pounds of food to support families in need throughout our Council area,” said Mario A. Pérez, CEO and Scout Executive/CEO of NCAC. “We know that a significant number of residents in our region are facing food insecurity right now. Our Scouts, their families, and adult leaders are stepping up to make a meaningful impact. Scouting for Food is a powerful example of how we prepare youth for lives of purpose and service.”

Scouting for Food is one of the largest annual food drives in the region, engaging Scouts aged 5 to 20 across the District of Columbia; Maryland counties including Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s; and Virginia counties including Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford, and Culpeper—as well as the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Fredericksburg.

The urgency of this effort is underscored by the Capital Area Food Bank’s Hunger Report 2025, which reveals that 36% of residents in the Greater Washington Region continue to face food insecurity. Even more concerning, the number of people experiencing very low food security—the most severe category—has grown by 75,000 in the past year alone. To learn more, read the full report at: Capital Area Food Bank Hunger Report 2025.

Held each fall before Thanksgiving, Scouting for Food helps stock the shelves of local food banks during the critical holiday season. The community’s support is essential.

Most-needed items include:

• Canned proteins (tuna, chicken, salmon)
• Peanut butter
• Pasta, rice, and other grains
• Whole grain cereals and oatmeal
• Canned vegetables and fruits

Together, Scouts and their neighbors are making a difference—one doorstep and one donation at a time.

Scouting for Food is made possible in part by a grant from the Safeway Foundation.

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About Scouting America and the National Capital Area Council

Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” Scouting America welcomes all of America’s youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and currently more than one million youth are served by 477,000 adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To learn more about Scouting America’s mission, or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit https://beascout.scouting.org/

Scouting America National Capital Area Council (NCAC) was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. Scouts from the NCAC do over 400,000 hours of community service each year. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg in Virginia. For more information, please visit www.ncacscouting.org/