Scouting for Food is one of the largest annual coordinated Scouting efforts in our area. It includes the town-wide collection of non-perishable food to help the Project Just Because Hopkinton Food Pantry. The PJB Food Pantry serves over 440 families in Hopkinton and contributions from Scouting for Food help the food pantry to continue to serve people in our town.

The goal of Scouting for Food is 100% participation of all scouts in all units and as an all scouting event, all Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts in Hopkinton participate. This year's scouting for food for the Knox Trail Council will mark the 23rd Anniversary of the Scouting for Food, Good Turn for America.

Bag Drop off

• Consider safety, Don't drop off bags under any circumstances in locations that appear hazardous (unfriendly dog, construction site, etc.) 
• Drop off bags any time on Saturday, November 3. 
• Ensure that care is taken as your scout enters and exits your car. Exit only on curbside. Avoid crossing streets. Use your hazard lights on your car. 
• Securely attach each bag to a doorknob, use elastic bands or twist ties to secure to a mailbox post, or place in mailbox newspaper tube. Don't place inside mailbox or hang on the mailbox flag! 
• Wear your scout uniform (or at least your hat) when dropping off bags. 

Bag Collection

• Drop collected Bags off at Hopkins School drop off center
• Consider safety as our number one priority 
• Remember that your Cub scouts should not enter any homes. 
• Wear your scout uniform (or at least your hat if scout is wearing a coat). 
• Ensure that you are collecting food for the drive. Some parts of town have trash collection on Saturday, and mix ups can occur as a result. 
• Bring collected food to Hopkins School, and Do not drop off at Project Just Because. 
• Don't pick up bags before 10:00 AM. 
• Don't pick up bags that are not on your route unless other arrangements have already been made between the scouts on the assigned route. 
• Don't ring the doorbell asking for a food donation if none is present. 
• Don't visit Project Just Because on November 10th unless you have an assigned task with Scouting for Food for that day. 

What to expect

• Your den leader will distribute bags to be dropped off at mailboxes/doors shortly after the October pack meeting. 
• Each Cub Scout will be responsible for a specific designated route and the Scouts will distribute bags to homes on each of their designated routes on Saturday, November 3, 2012. 
• On Saturday, November 10, 2012, each Cub Scout will pick up the filled bags on their designated route and bring them to the collection site at Hopkins School, where Scouts will work together to sort the collected nonperishable foods. 
• The nonperishable food items collected in Scouting for Food will be distributed to our local food pantries. 

In 1988, the first Scouting for Food collection was completed. One million Scouts collected an estimated 65 million cans of nonperishable food. 

In 1989-1991 the continuing efforts of scouts nationally to collect for Scouting for Food resulted in a combined total of an additional 209 million cans of food for people in need. This effort continues to grow every year and the event is one of the largest community outreach activities performed by our local Scout Troops. In the Knox Trail Council alone, over 1,600 tons of food have been collected in the past 20 years. 

FAQ

What is Scouting for Food?

The “Scouting for Food” campaign will involve a regional food collection effort by Cub and Boy Scouts. Scouts will distribute collection bags on November 6 throughout their designated area. On Saturday, November 5, the filled bags will be collected by the Cub and Boy Scouts and brought to local food pantries, who will make the food available to the needy.

What is the Need?

Hunger hurts. Hundreds of families are now served by food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in MetroWest alone. Hunger strikes all ages. The elderly, the disabled, the homeless, the unemployed, women and children all need food. It is estimated that 36% of the clients of the food pantries are children. This Good Turn is about “Kids helping Kids.” Food shortages abound. Over 24 agencies rely on our Scouting for Food to help keep their shelves full for the needy.

What is the Answer?

Hunger is a problem we can solve by working together. “Scouting for Food” offers a starting point to help our area’s food pantries supply of food. If we increase the amount of food available, more people can be helped and those on emergency food supplies can receive food more often.