Scouting for Food (SFF) is a program where Scouting units (Girl Scouts, Packs, Troops, Venturing & Varsity) canvass a territory in the Howard County area and ask for donations of non-perishable food that will be donated to a food pantry.  Canvassing consists of dropping off a SFF bag the week before the event and then going back on March 6th to pick up the filled bags that have been left at the front door or mailbox.  It's not a terribly complicated process and the rewards of working together and helping so many people are (as the commercial says) priceless.

Designate a Scouting for Food coordinator in your unit and ask him/her to get in touch with Sori Meredith, District Coordinator, (scoutingforfoodNPD@verizon.net). 

Yes, Girl Scout units can participate along with Boy Scout units or pick their own area to canvass.  Girl Scouts can also choose to ask for donations in front of a food store.  Please make sure you ask for permission before hand.  Check with management of the food store where you want to ask for donations well in advance of the event.  Please make sure your service unit manager knows of your participation. 

You need to:

1. Contact Sori Meredith, District Coordinator, (scoutingforfoodNPD@verizon.net) to let her know which area you will be canvassing and to get a food donation site you will take the food to.
2. Get the bags you will distribute in your area.
3. During the weekend of February 26^th, distribute bags to the houses in your area. On Saturday, March 6, 2010, go back to those houses and pick up the donations and take them to your designated food donation site.
4. Make sure you count the number of bags you collected and multiply by 15 lbs. to get the total amount of food you collected.

How do I know how many bags I need?

Go to "How Many Bags?" on this website to get into maps that will show you how many houses are on each street in your canvassing area. 

Yes, if a food store will let you give out bags to shoppers as they go in so that they can buy some items to donate, you can choose to do your collection this way.  Please be sure that you comply with the rules of each store in asking permission to set up in front of it. 

No, some units choose to distribute bags the week before on the day of their meeting.  For example, a Cub Scout den might choose to distribute bags on Thursday, February 25th, in lieu of their regular den meeting.  We would suggest that you do not distribute bags more than 2 weeks ahead of time.

We need to report back to Baltimore Area Council how we did, so we are asking that you send an email to answering the questions listed on the Post-SFF Unit Report.

Some units choose to weigh their food. In general a good rule of thumb is to count the number of bags and multiply by 15. This will give you a good number to report as to how many pounds of food you collected.

We are asking that you report your service hours to BSA Good Turn for American’s website. Please follow the instructions.