Scouting for Food 2012 kicks off on Saturday
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Boy Scouts will Scout for Food in Springfield neighborhoods Saturday, Mar. 17 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to collect nonperishable food items for Ozarks Food Harvest.
This is the 23rd year local Boy Scouts have partnered with The Food Bank for the national community service project, Scouting for Food 2012. Over the past ten years, Scouts have collected nearly 100,000 pounds of food for the regional food bank.
“We are hoping for a successful food drive this year, as Scouting for Food was once The Food Bank’s largest community food drive, collecting nearly ten tons of food one year,” said Denise Gibson, development director at Ozarks Food Harvest. “We’re always proud to see the Scouts deliver the donations to help others in need.”
Most needed food items include canned meats, canned and boxed meals, pasta and rice, peanut butter, canned or dried beans and peas, canned fruit, cereal and 100% fruit juice. All donations should be in undamaged and unexpired packages. No glass containers are accepted.
Community members may also donate to the Scouting for Food 2012 drive on Saturday by bringing food items to Walmart, 2021 E. Independence, or to Ozarks Food Harvest, 2810 N. Cedarbrook Ave., in Springfield between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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About Ozarks Food Harvest—The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving more than 300 hunger relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank reaches approximately 80,000 individuals monthly and distributes 12 million pounds of food annually. OFH was named the 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and its facility, the O’Reilly Center for Hunger Relief, recently received AIB International food safety certification. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org and at facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest.