NCAC will be kicking off the 31st annual Scouting for Food on November 3. Scouts will distribute door tags to homes throughout our Council, then return on November 10 to collect non-perishable food items that will nourish the area’s hungry.
Scouting for Food (SFF) is one of the largest annual food drives in the DC metropolitan area. Last year Scouts collected one million pounds of food, and this year’s goal is to top that. Capital Area Food Bank and other local food banks will use these items to help with its distribution of 45 million pounds of food – equivalent to 37.5 million meals – to 478,100 people through a network of 500 partner agencies and direct service programs.
“With thirty million Americans, including six million children, going hungry at some point every month, this is a way for us to help directly,” says Craig Poland, CEO and Scout Executive of the National Capital Area Council. “Scouting for Food helps local families in need and teaches our Scouts the importance of directly serving the community.”
SFF is held every fall prior to Thanksgiving. Local food banks rely on it to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday months, when food demands are the greatest.
Items in highest demand include:
- canned protein (tuna, chicken, peanut butter)
- soups and stews (chili, beef stew, meat-based soups)
- 100% fruit juices (all sizes)
- grains (boxed macaroni and cheese, pasta, rice)
- cereals (low sugar cereals, oatmeal)
- canned vegetables & fruits
- condiments
- hygiene products (diapers, toilet paper, tissues, soap, toothpaste).
Scouting for Food is co-sponsored by Capital Area Food Bank, the Safeway Foundation, and WUSA9.
