Scouting for Food

This annual food drive is one of the largest in our area and is depended upon by the Capital Area Food Bank and other local food banks to help meet the demands of our hungry neighbors. We hope that you will actively promote this project and communicate to your scouts the importance and impact of their participation.

THIS Saturday, November 2: Post-it Notes should be distributed to homes, possibly on paper bags and with a note from your scout.
Saturday, November 9: Your scout should collect the food from neighbors’ front steps by 8:30, and bring it to one of the collection sites below.

A note about bags or the neighbors: we recommend that your scout starts collecting PAPER grocery bags from stores now, and as he distributes Post-it notes on November 2nd to neighborhood houses, he can leave these BIODEGRADABLE bags with Post-it notes attached. It’s not necessary, but it might also help our collection efforts. Also, as you know, it is always more helpful to make personal contact with prospective donors than just to drop a note or bag and leave. An earnest scout’s ask is a terrific motivator!

November 9 Collection Sites:
• Holy Redeemer Church, 9705 Summit Ave, Kensington, MD 20895, Steve Fries, site coordinator
• Loehmann’s Plaza, 5200-5296 Randolph Road, Rockville, MD. George Gadbois, site coordinator
• Bolger Center (US Postal Training Facility), 9600 Newbridge Drive, Potomac, MD, Carla Morris, site coordinator (enter off of Democracy Boulevard, just up from the Falls Road intersection. You will see the big Manna Truck in the unloading parking lot we will be using).

Collection hours will be from 10:00 am – 1:00 p.m.

Please feel free to ask for dedicated collection boxes for high-foot traffic sites like apartment building entrances, school lobbies and places of worship, to encourage food collections. As you can see from the chart below, the Cloverly Safeway did an amazing job collecting for SFF last year! I have three boxes left in case anyone would like to pick some up from my house. Please let me know in advance, though, so I can have them ready for you.

Most Needed Foods: Our recipient of the collected food, Manna, has asked for a focus on healthful foods to provide to their clients. Most needed items include: Grains – Instant Oatmeal Packets, brown rice, whole grain pasta; Proteins – tuna, salmon, chicken (in water), dry/canned beans, natural nut butters; Fruits and Veggies – canned vegetables, canned fruit, fruit cups; Other Healthy Items – Shelf-stable individual milk boxes, cooking oils, spices, infant formula, and baby food. No glass please, and no expired items.

We can also use scouts and parents to help us greet donors, unload cars, and organize the food bins for delivery back to Manna. SSL hours are available! I also promise to provide donuts and hot chocolate that morning.

Thank you very much for promoting Scouting for Food with your scout!