SANTA ROSA, March
1,
2010 - About 400 Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from Santa Rosa
to Cloverdale will mark the 100th anniversary of scouting
in the United States when they collect thousands of pounds
of canned and packaged food for people in need during the
annual Scouting for Food drive March 13-20.
The scouts, from Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs throughout
central and northern Sonoma County, hope to collect 8,000
lbs of food, all of which will go the Redwood Empire Food
Bank, which provides vital hunger relief to some 70,000 Sonoma
County residents every month.
This is the 25th annual Scouting for Food Drive, one of
the largest food drives in the country. Nationwide, it is
part of the Boy Scouts of America's 2010 One Million Cans
of Food Drive.
"This is a terrific annual effort by the scouts and their
adult leaders, and we hope residents will support the effort
by donating food for the increasing number of Sonoma County
residents including families, elderly and children who need
help getting enough to eat," said David Goodman, executive
director of the REFB. "A bag of canned and packaged food
is a tremendous help to people in need."
Participating scouts will begin seeking donations
on Saturday March 13. They will go door to door in neighborhoods,
distributing empty shopping bags and fliers identifying specific
food items that are especially helpful for hunger relief
programs. Shopping bags are being donated by G&G Market,
Oliver's Market, and Whole Foods as well as bags left over
from the Food Bank's annual Winter Food and Funds Drive.
Residents are welcome to donate food immediately
or fill the bags over the week and leave them at their front
door or in view of the street for scouts who will return
the following Saturday, March 20. Fliers distributed with
bags will alert residents to the preferred time and method
of pick up.
A section of the parking lot of the CVS/pharmacy
store on 4th Street and Farmers Lane in Santa Rosa will serve
as a central collection point for scouts, as well as the
public that may want to drop off contributions themselves.
The drop-off location will be receiving contributions from
noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday March 20. The food will be delivered
to the REFB later that afternoon.
Food also can be donated at the REFB headquarters, 3320
Industrial Drive in Santa Rosa. The REFB warehouse will have
donation bins available to receive donations from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
Residents are being urged to donate canned tuna, chicken,
soups, chili and beans; canned fruit and vegetables, breakfast
cereal, boxed and canned juices, dry pasta, rice and beans.
Food in glass containers or perishable items can't be accepted.
The scouts are members of the Pomo District of the Redwood
Empire Council Boys Scouts of America. Participating groups
and the area they will cover include:
Pack 20 - Windsor
Pack 25 - Hidden Valley/ Fountaingrove
Pack 29 - Windsor
Pack 55 - Bennett Valley
Pack 60 - Cloverdale
Pack 118 - Sky Hawk
Pack 127 - Bennett Valley
Pack 128 - Sebastopol
Pack 138 - College/ Fulton
Pack 155 - Forestville
Pack 243 - Bellevue Ranch
Pack 331 - Wikiup/ REFB
Pack 333 - Mark West
Troop 27 - Sebastopol
Troop 55 - Oakmont
Troop 121 - Rincon Valley
Troop 125 - Proctor Terrace
Troop 707 - Larkfield/ Mark West
Troop 999 - Windsor
More information on the program is available from Andy Laird,
Scouting for Food Coordinator, at andyal@att.net or
707-539-8428. Or Billy Bartz, REFB Food & Funds Drive
Coordinator, at wbartz@refb.org or
707-523-7900, ext 27.
The REFB is the largest food bank on the Northern California
coast from Petaluma to the Oregon border. In addition to providing
food to Sonoma County residents, it is a primary source of
food for pantries in Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte
counties. |
