Boy Scouts go Scouting for Food in March to benefit Ozarks Food Harvest
33rd annual food drive helps families facing hunger in southwest Missouri
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council will collect food and funds this month as part of the 33rd annual Scouting for Food event benefitting Ozarks Food Harvest and its network of 270 hunger-relief organizations.
Flyers and grocery bags will be dropped off in neighborhoods throughout March for the event including the specific date Scouts will return to pick up nonperishable food donations. If flyers are not distributed in your neighborhood, food donations will also be accepted in Springfield at the Ozark Trails Council headquarters, 1616 S. Eastgate, and at Ozarks Food Harvest, 2810 N. Cedarbrook Ave., through March 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Scouting for Food is a great way for Scouts to serve their fellow community members and fulfill their oath of embracing a duty to others,” said Carl Peterson, district director for the Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council. “We are excited to partner with Ozarks Food Harvest again to help families facing hunger in our area.”
Ozarks Food Harvest’s goal for Scouting for Food this year is to provide 10,000 meals to its network spread across 28 counties in southwest Missouri. Most needed items include canned meats, peanut butter, beans, boxed or canned meals, rice, pasta, canned vegetables or fruit, and cereal.
“We are so thankful for the Boy Scouts for helping us bring attention to the issue of hunger in the Ozarks,” said Denise Gibson, Ozarks Food Harvest’s director of development and communication. “Their dedication to helping others in the community is inspiring.”
Since Scouting for Food began in 2002, local scouts have helped provide more than 230,000 meals to children, families and seniors across the Ozarks. For those interested in more information or making an online donation, visit bit.ly/scoutingforfood2022.
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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 hunger-relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank provides 22 million meals annually to more than 261,000 unduplicated individuals. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.