Scouting for Food campaign set to kick off this weekend

Local Cub Scouts, Webelos and Boy Scouts will fan out across neighborhoods Saturday, distributing door hangers as a prelude to the Scouting for Food collection effort on Feb. 8.

Scouting for Food— an annual food drive — has been a project of the Boy Scouts of America for decades. Scouts will be spreading the news of the campaign this Saturday by hanging notices on the doors of their neighbors. The following Saturday, the Scouts will come back to pick up donated food and take it to a local food bank.

Any non-perishable food items or unopened toiletries can be donated.

Locally the Rome Rotary Club has gotten involved with the collection effort as a community service project.

“It’s always a fun day. Maybe this year it will snow,” said Jerry Lee, a Scout leader and member of the Rotary Club.

The last couple of years the collection date has been marked by either a steady drizzle or outright rain.

In addition to the Rome collection effort — which will be based at the Salvation Army warehouse, 317 E. First Ave. — Scouts will be collecting food at the Rockmart Helping Hands office at 221B S. Piedmont Ave. in Rockmart where Amanda Prewett is the coordinator.

Up in Summerville, Chattooga Scout packs and troops will be at the Family and Children Services office, 102 Ga. 48, Summerville.

Michael Kitchens is coordinating the collection in Summerville.

Northwest Georgia Boys Scout Council President Mary Hardin Thornton said the goal for this year’s collection is 7,500 items.

Scouts typically canvass their neighborhoods on the morning of Feb. 8 to pick up food, but people can also bring food by the drop-off locations between noon and 2 p.m. on that day.

Scouts and their community partners then spend the rest of the afternoon sorting the food.