Scouts to Deliver Bags for Food Drive Saturday

Hundreds of local Scouts will be out and about in the Bloomingdale Patch area Saturday, dropping off "Scouting for Food" bags at homes throughout the community.

It's part of the Scouts' annual Scouting for Food campaign, which, last year, collected more than 20,000 pounds of food for the Emergency Care Help Organization in Brandon.

Located at 507 N. Parsons Ave., Brandon, ECHO is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides food and clothing to residents facing emergency needs such as a sudden job loss or catastrophic illness.

The Scouts are inviting residents to fill the bags with nonperishable foods to be picked up the following Saturday.

The food will be delivered to ECHO where, for the first time, it will be picked up by Feeding America Tampa Bay on 50th Street in Tampa, a nonprofit group that provides food to local food pantries. 

"For every pound of food collected by the Scouts in this area, Feeding Tampa Bay will give us a credit for two pounds of food: one pound of canned goods and one pound of produce," said Stacey Efaw, executive director of ECHO. "So we'll be getting twice the amount of food in return."

In past years, the food went directly to ECHO, which sometimes presented a storage issue for the nonprofit, said Efaw.

"This is ideal for us because we won't have to store the food, and we can go to Feeding America and get it as we need it."

That's a good thing, said Efaw, because there are two more major food drives approaching: the Feeding Tampa Bay food drive conducted by local churches will take place March 27 followed by the U.S. Postal Service food drive the second Saturday in May.

In addition to getting twice as much food, Efaw is pleased with the availability of fresh produce from Feeding America, one of the largest nationwide distributors of food to local food banks.

"Getting fresh fruits and vegetables is unheard of for food pantries," said Efaw.

On Feb. 26, about 500 Scouts from the Timucua will return to the neighborhoods where they've dropped off bags to gather any nonperishable items residents have put in the bags and left on their doorsteps for pick-up. The Timucua District includes the Bloomingdale Patch area.

“We hope the pound-for-pound match gives residents a further incentive to donate to Scouting For Food, and inspires the Scouts, too," said Feeding America Tampa Bay’s executive director Pat Rogers.

Residents who receive the bags are asked to contribute essential foodstuffs such as canned meats, tuna, macaroni and cheese, cereal, canned vegetables and fruits.  Personal care items are also needed, according to Walter McKnight of Brandon who coordinates the Scouting for Food program for the Gulf Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts.

He said 350,000 bags were produced for this year’s effort, and the Gulf Ridge Council Scouts hope to collect enough food to provide 100,000 meals. 

Rogers said the exchange with local food banks such as ECHO is a win for his organization as well.

He explained that most supermarkets now donate excess fresh products almost daily, providing a substantial supply of highly valued nutritious produce and protein items. But canned and boxed dry goods donations are harder to come by and these foods are the traditional staple of most emergency pantries the Food Bank supports.

“Feeding America Tampa Bay is looking for creative ways to secure more dry goods and efficiently distribute the perishable fresh items that we’re receiving, and Scouting For Food can help us accomplish both objectives," said Rogers.

The annual food drive also enables Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Venturers and Explorers to fulfill their “Good Turn” commitment to the community, in keeping with Scouting’s effort to promote a culture of service to others, said McKnight.

Last year’s Scouting For Food generated more than 25 tons of  donated food that were turned over to local food banks and pantries for sorting and distribution. The drive’s February timing has helped replenish supplies after the holiday season.

“The Scouts know that hunger is a critical problem that exists year round, and staging our effort after the holidays might help raise awareness among everyone”, said Jennifer Thomason, a senior district executive for the Scouts.

The USDA reported in November that 14.2 percent of Florida households are food insecure -- meaning they lack consistent access to a nutritious, well-balanced diet.  An earlier study released by Feeding America found that one in five children in Florida was at risk of hunger.

The Gulf Ridge Council food collection is taking place in Hillsborough, Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Pasco, Polk and Sumter counties and involves an estimated 50,000 Scouts.

Residents who do not receive a bag can get one by calling the Scout Service Center at (813) 872-2691.

For questions, contact McKnight at (813) 643-7343.