Boy Scouts go Scouting for Food in March to benefit Ozarks Food Harvest
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— The Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council will collect food and funds this month as part of the 34th annual Scouting for Food event benefitting Ozarks Food Harvest and its network of 270 community and faith-based charities.
Scouts will drop off Scouting For Food flyers and grocery bags in neighborhoods throughout March that include the specific date they 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.
“We’re so excited to partner with Ozarks Food Harvest again this year to help children, families and seniors facing hunger in southwest Missouri,” said Carl Peterson, district director for the Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council. “Scouting for Food continues to serve as a wonderful opportunity for Scouts to follow their oath by embracing duty to others.”
Ozarks Food Harvest’s goal for Scouting for Food 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.
“The Boy Scouts enthusiasm for helping families facing hunger in their community is truly inspiring,” said Denise Gibson, Ozarks Food Harvest’s director of development and communication. “We’re so grateful for the Scouts dedication and partnership over so many years.”
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/scoutingforfood_23
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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 reaches 50,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 20 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest, or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.