Scouts collect food for needy

This Saturday the Boy Scouts of America will be collecting bags filled with non-perishable food items from houses across Virginia.

This food drive, Scouting for Food, was started in 1988 when 65 million containers of food were collected, according to scouting.org.

“It is a council-wide good turn done for the community,” said Barry McDonald, director of food services for the Heart of Virginia Council.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Scouting for Food brought in 287,588 pounds of non-perishable food items to the Central Virginia Food Bank last year.

“We are hopeful to cross the 300,000 [pound] threshold,” said Rick Holzbach, the food resources manager for the food bank. “Every pound is appreciated and will be distributed directly to those in need.”

“[Central Virginia Food Bank] is the only food bank,” said McDonald. “Churches and other community organizations have food pantries where the food is stored in rural areas.”

McDonald said the Food bank is the preferred storage facility because of the safety checks that are preformed to ensure the food is consumable.

To participate, fill the specially marked brown grocery bags that were dropped off on Nov. 1, with boxes or cans of non-perishable foods and place them on your porch before 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

“Bags are donated by Smurfit-Stone Corp. along with Duro Bag,” said McDonald. He estimates 250,000 bags were dropped off by 10,000 members of Boy Scout Troops, Cub Scout Packs, and Venture Crews in Virginia.

Around the same amount of help will be needed when the bags are picked up and brought to the food bank and food pantries.

“Many local companies donate tractor-trailers that we load the donations into. The drivers bring the donated food to the food bank,” McDonald said.

“Central Virginia Food Bank serves 31 counties and 5 cities. We work with over 500 partner agencies located within those localities,” said Holzbach.

After the food is donated, the agencies buy it at an average of 10 cents per pound, which helps the Food Bank pay for the costs of running the warehouse. The price per pound varies from canned goods at 17 cents, produce at three cent, and baked goods at no cost.

The rest of the money comes from philanthropy.

Although the scouts take any non-perishable food items, scoutingforfood.net suggest soups, canned meats, canned fruit, 100 percent fruit juice, vegetables, and evaporated milk.

The Web site says, “The best type of container is canned food. Other food such as breads, produce, etc. will go bad before being used.”

If you were not delivered a bag or your bag is not collected, you can place donations in a purple bin outside Ukrop’s stores. The bins are unloaded and brought to the food bank.

“In front of every store are large self-contained purple boxes. Should some one miss or the scouts miss them, they can drop of 24/7 into those boxes,” Holzbach said. “The Central Virginia Food Bank distribution center located at 1415 Rhoadmiller Street will also be accepting donations everyday.”

“We partner with Central Virginia Food Bank to be a permanent drop-off location,” said Anne Stringer of Ukrop’s support center. “During food drives, we make sure people know that if they miss the drive, they can drop off donations in the bins.”

McDonald said that it is especially important that underprivileged children don’t go hungry.

Central Virginia Food Bank has had trouble keeping food on its shelves this year.

“The economy has had a two-pronged impact on us,” Holzbach said. “First, those who are able to donate have had to reduce the amounts they are able to provide. Second, some of the individual donors have now become clients as their household budgets have been squeezed by increased food and fuel costs.”

“The Heart of Virginia Council hopes to gather 500,000 pounds of food,” McDonald says. “The council is made up of 514 units from the Northern Neck to the Chesapeake Bay and from Mecklenburg to the state line.”

Last year, between 350,000 and 400,000 pounds is estimated to been gathered by the council. In earlier years, it has been estimated the council gathered between 450,000 and 500,000 pounds of food annually through Scouting for Food.

Holzbach expects 100 volunteers to help unload trucks from the Food bank’s two loading bays Saturday.

After it comes off the truck, the food is weighed and sorted. Sorted food makes its way to the shopping area where the agencies can later buy it.

By the time all of the trucks filled by Scouting for Food are unloaded, Holzbach hopes the Central Virginia Food Bank’s warehouse will be stoc