On Saturday November 6th, the Boy Scouts of America invite you and your neighbors to support your local food pantries while you shop at local grocery stores in the Inland Empire communities from Colton and Grand Terrace to Banning Pass along the I-10 corridor, as well as into San Bernardino and Highland. “Scouting for Food” has been an annual “Good Turn” community service program performed by Scouts of all ages in the California Inland Empire Council since 2001.
On that day between 8 AM and 4 PM, uniformed Scouts will distribute a printed list of suggested food items most needed by area service agency’s food pantries to store patrons as they enter. As patrons exit the store, they will present the donated items to a smiling Cub or Boy Scout and the food will be collected for delivery to the participating agencies. Scouts, parents, and leaders may be wearing protective masks this year as well as gloves due to the current COVID-19 safety guidelines and store’s specific adherence, so social distancing may apply in donation of food. Collected food will be delivered to several local community agencies by Scouts, their parents, and adult Scout leaders of the Gray Arrow District, California Inland Empire Council, Boy Scouts of America. The Young Marines sponsored by the Redlands Elks Lodge will join in this year for this year’s community service for their second year.
Collected food items are distributed to food pantries of local non-profit agencies including the San Bernardino and Redlands Salvation Army Service Offices, the Family Service Association of Redlands, its Yucaipa Outreach Project, as well as Yucaipa Family Assistance, and H.E.L.P. Inc. in the Banning Pass. In addition, donated food items are given to the Inland Empire Ronald McDonald House in Loma Linda for the 4th year with their unique food and family list of needs. These agencies all provide emergency assistance that includes food distribution and other needed services to needy or disadvantaged and transitional families.
The Gray Arrow District Boy Scouts and Young Marines will be collecting primarily non-perishable food items from shoppers in these communities at participating grocery store entrances. Selected Stater Bros., Albertsons, and Vons are the larger participating grocery stores in the greater San Bernardino Valley up into Banning Pass areas. The family-owned Gerrards store in Redlands will join this storefront donation support effort too, and Redlands’ Sprouts will be donating some items directly to the Boy Scout service project leaders. Please encourage your families, friends, and neighbors to help the Scouts do a meaningful “Good Turn” for your communities by donating food items intended for needy families that reside in your local communities, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Scouting has been building character and developing leaders for over a century in this country. Since its beginning in England in 1910, Scouting has been developing character in youth worldwide. If you have any questions in respect to our Scouting for Food program, please contact Ed Lucas, our Gray Arrow District “Scouting for Food” Chairman for 2021 at either edmech02@msn.com or his cell: (951) 906-3713.
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