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Post date: Nov 10, 2012 12:16:32 AM
WASHINGTON, DC (November 10, 2012) — Today Scouts will travel throughout16 counties in Maryland and Northern Virginia to collect bags full of food that will nourish the area’s hungry. Scouts will also be at most District of Columbia Safeway Stores to distribute flyers and ask patrons to purchase an extra item or two for donation purposes as they shop. Just one week ago, Scouting for Food empty donation bags were distributed throughout Maryland and Northern Virginia and flyers at District of Columbia residences by National Capital Area Council (NCAC), Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, Venturing crews and Sea Scout ships.
“More than 680,000 residents in the area are at risk or experiencing hunger, including the highest percentage of children in U.S. households - more than 32% - without consistent access to food,” said Les Baron, Scout Executive/CEO of NCAC. “This year, more than ever, area families are depending on the donations of their community members. Our annual Scouting for Food drive – now in its 26th year - teaches young people the value of helping others and we know it will be our most successful to date.”
As part of Scouting’s Good Turn for America, Scouting for Food is held every fall before Thanksgiving. For more than 100 years, the ideals of the Scouting program have instilled in boys and girlsa sense of duty to the community through service. The food drive is co-sponsored by Capital Area Food Bank, Safeway, WUSA9-TV, United Way and The Washington Examiner.
“The demand for the food bank and our partner agencies is greater than ever,” said Lynn Brantley, President and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank.“We are seeing longer lines and people who used to donate are now coming through our doors for food assistance “Support from community partners like the Boy Scouts, Safeway, United Way, WUSA9 and The Washington Examiner will help us feed those struggling to get enough food to eat during these difficult times.”
Originally launched in 1987, Scouting for Food is one of the largest annual food drives in the metropolitan area. Last year, Scouts from NCAC collected 859,000 pounds of canned goods and non-perishable food items and this year, Capital Area Food Bank will use the items collected by Scouts to help with its distribution of33 million pounds of food,half of which is fresh produce.
“It is so important for our youth to see that there is a need and to know that they are helping make a difference in their communities,” said Greg TenEyck, director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, Safeway/Eastern Division. ”This value, when learned early in life, can become a life-long pattern.Safeway is proud to partner with National Capital Area Council to feed our hungry neighbors.
Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.TM” The Scouting organization is composed of 2.7 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 21 and more than a million volunteers in nearly 300 local councils throughout the United States and its territories.
National Capital Area Council was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg.
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