Boys Scouts Host 31st Annual Food Drive

SPRINGFIELD — The Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council will go door-todoor this month collecting non-perishable food for the 31st annual Scouting for Food benefiting Ozarks Food Harvest and its network of 270 food pantries.

Plastic grocery bags will be dropped off in neighborhoods in early March, and Scouts will pick them up later in the month. On Saturday, March 28, Scouts will hold a communitywide food drive at several area Walmart stores.

“Community and community betterment are key tenets for the Scouting program,” said Bridget Barclay, district executive for the Boy Scouts of the Ozark Trails Council. “Teaming up with Ozarks Food Harvest is a very organic way in which the Scouts can understand what is happening in their community and learn how easy it is to get involved.”

Donations will also be accepted at the Ozark Trails Council headquarters, 1616 S. Eastgate, and at Ozarks Food Harvest, 2810 N. Cedarbrook Ave., throughout the month.

“Our partnership with the Boy Scouts has helped provide so many meals to our hunger-relief partners over the years,” said

Denise Gibson, Ozarks Food Harvest’s director of development and communication. “We’re grateful for the Scouts who dedicate their time to promoting the event and collecting donations every March.”

Last year’s drive helped provide more than 17,000 meals to hungry children, families and seniors. Ozarks Food Harvest will distribute the donations to its network of 270 pantries across 28 counties in southwest Missouri.

ABOUT OZARKS FOOD HARVEST — THE FOOD BANK: OZARKS FOOD HARVEST IS THE FEEDING AMERICA FOOD BANK FOR SOUTHWEST MISSOURI, SERVING 270 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS 28 OZARKS COUNTIES. THE FOOD BANK PROVIDES 18.5 MILLION MEALS ANNUALLY TO MORE THAN 261,000 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS. LEARN MORE AT OZARKSFOODHARVEST.ORG.