Scouting for Food fills up local food pantries

Last week, more than 300 area Boys Scouts and Cub Scouts hung empty plastic sacks on doorknobs and porches, with hopes the owners would be kind enough to fill those bags with food for the annual Scouting for Food drive.

By noon Saturday, those porches were picked clean after the Scouts gathered the food and delivered it to 17 food pantries and charity organizations in Des Moines, Henry and Louisa counties in Iowa and Henderson County in Illinois.

According to Monte Smith, cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 71 out of Danville and New London, this was the most productive year yet.

"It went really good. We had the best drive we've ever had," he said.

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"Last year, we picked up 400 items. Each year, we get a little bigger and bigger," Smith said. "We're pretty proud of them."

Each pack and troop was given a specific area to cover, though some of the groups teamed up so they could cover a bigger area. Boy Scout Troop 214 and Cub Scout Pack 14 were in charge of recovering food from West Burlington, and Cubmaster Mark Moore reported it was a smashing success.

"We had 25 boys, and they were able to get more than 1,000 items," Moore said. "We were right on target."

The total number of food items won't officially be tallied for a couple of weeks, but Scouting for Food chairwoman Kathy Boyle said the combined efforts of the Shoquoquon District of the Mississippi Valley Council for the Boy Scouts of America has brought in thousands of food items each year.

"Service to one's community is one of Scouting's most valuable lessons," she said. "Each year, Scouts collect close to 15,000 food items within our four-county area. Seventeen local food pantries and shelters are able to replenish their supplies."

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Scouting for Food fills up local food pantries