Boy Scouts Collect 7,812 Pounds of Food

SAN BERNARDINO>> Boy Scouts from the Arrowhead District collected 7,812 pounds of food at local Stater Bros. Markets, and the almost four tons were donated to The Salvation Army’s San Bernardino Citadel Corps for the holiday season food drive. “That is a lot of food, and we are glad to have it,” said Lt. Cathie McCulley, integrated missions’ coordinator. “We use this food primarily in the food boxes we give to area families in need at Thanksgiving and Christmas time.” In December, the San Bernardino Corps assembles Christmas food baskets for about 500 local families. Nonperishable food donations received from the Boy Scouts were included in those baskets along with a $15 gift card to Stater Bros. for a turkey. The food also supplements The Salvation Amy’s daily meal program, including special holiday meals served on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. This year, the Boy Scouts collected 7,812 pounds of food and have collected more than 60 tons of food for The Salvation Army and other charities with meal programs during the last 10 years. “There are a lot of needy people out there, so hopefully it will help,” said Arrowhead District Scouting for Food Coordinator Denise Wampole. “Scouting instills the ideals of helping others at all times in our young men.” Wampole continued, “To ask customers of Stater Bros to purchase nonperishable food items and then donate them on their way out of the store is a perfect project for scouts of all ages. It is so rewarding for the scouts to fill the shopping carts with the donations and at the end of the day fill a truck or two. We look forward to continuing this partnership with Stater Bros. and the Salvation Army for many years to come.” Boy Scouts from San Bernardino, Rialto, Colton, Highland, Grand Terrace and Bloomington collected food and were participating in a nationwide event the Boy Scouts of America call “Scouting for Food.” “Each Scouting for Food drive benefits a local charity. For instance, not only did troops from San Bernardino and nearby communities collect food for the Salvation Army, a troop from Lake Arrowhead that is part of the same Arrowhead District as those helping The Salvation Army collected food for a shelter in Blue Jay,” Wampole said. “One of Scouting's legacy is helping others at all times,” said District Director, Tracy Youden of the Arrowhead District Boy Scouts. “'Do a Good Turn Daily’ is learned from the time a boy enters as a kindergarten Cub Scout and is carried on in the older boy programs in Boy Scouting and then in our co-ed teen programs Venturing and Exploring. The Scouting for Food program is just one example of how our Scouting community branches out to help others,” said Youden. For more information on The Boys Scouts call (909) 793-2463 or go online to http://www.scouting.org . For help, or for more information call The Salvation Army at (909) 888-1336. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.