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29th annual food drive provides training for Boy Scouts and meals for those in need

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council will go door-to-door this month collecting nonperishable food for the 29th annual Scouting for Food benefitting Ozarks Food Harvest and its network of 270 pantries.

Plastic grocery sacks will be dropped off in neighborhoods throughout the month of March, with pick-up taking place the following weekend. The drive wraps up on Saturday, March 24 with a one-day, community-wide food drive at four Springfield Walmart locations.

“The Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council participate in the Scouting for Food drive because it is rooted in the foundation of the Scouting movement to implement good character development for the future leaders of our communities, country and world,” said Kurtis Grothoff, district executive for the Boy Scouts of America in Springfield. “Scouts learn how to take care of others, and their community, by giving their time to help someone in need.”

Community members can either donate food in grocery sacks left on their door or give at Walmart stores on Independence and Campbell from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Walmart Neighborhood Markets on West Republic and South Glenstone from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on March 24.
Donations will also be accepted at the Ozark Trails Council headquarters, 1616 S. Eastgate, and at Ozarks Food Harvest throughout the week leading up to March 31.

“We are so thankful for these caring Boy Scouts,” said Denise Gibson, Ozarks Food Harvest director of development and communication. “Their enthusiasm and dedication for helping others is inspiring.”

Last year’s drive collected a record 34,209 pounds of food and more than $800 to provide nearly 32,000 meals. Ozarks Food Harvest will provide the donations to its network of 270 pantries across 28 counties in southwest Missouri.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank provides 16.8 million meals annually to more than 261,000 unduplicated individuals. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.