Boy Scouts Collect Food for The Salvation Army

Boy Scouts from the Inland Empire collected 12,880 pounds, or 6 tons of food for The Salvation Army’s San Bernardino Corps. The food was donated by the Boy Scouts over two weekends in November. “That is a lot of food, and we need it,” said Major Daniel Henderson, corps officer. “We use this food primarily in the 600 gift boxes we give to area families in need at Christmas, and it will also help supplement our daily meal program, including special holiday meals we are serving on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.” In December, the San Bernardino Corps assembles holiday food baskets for more than 600 local families. Canned food donations received from the Boy Scouts will be included in those baskets along with a $10 gift card to Stater Bros. for a turkey. In addition to the holiday baskets, a Christmas dinner is served on Christmas Day to those in need. By asking for donations in front of local Stater Bros. stores on Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, the Boy Scouts collected 12,880 pounds of food. Last year the donations weighed in at 11,004 pounds. The Boy Scouts have collected tons of food for the Salvation Army and other charities with meal programs over the past several years. “There are a lot of needy people out there, so it may not go far, but hopefully it will help,” said Denise Wampole, inland empire scouting for food coordinator. Boy Scouts from San Bernardino, Rialto, Colton, Highland, Grand Terrace, Fontana and Bloomington collected food for the Salvation Army. They were participating in a nationwide event the Boy Scouts of America calls “Scouting for Food.” Each scouting for food drive benefits a local charity. 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. The San Bernardino Salvation Army will put the food to good use. On Thanksgiving Day, it hosted a dinner that brought in 300 people. Although much of the food served at the dinner was fresh, some of the non-perishable items the Boy Scouts collect may also be included. If there’s still any of the six tons of food left over after Christmas, the San Bernardino Corps will use the food every day for up to 75 - 90 people at its Hospitality House homeless shelter. Meals for anyone who is hungry are served six nights a week at 4:45 p.m. Sunday through Friday at 746 W. Fifth Street location. More than 40,000 meals are served annually at the Fifth Street location. The San Bernardino Corps of The Salvation Army serves Bloomington, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Rialto and San Bernardino.