The Boy Scouts of America, Gulf Stream Council, is partnering with area residents to fight against hunger in the South Florida area during the annual Scouting for Food initiative.
In 2017, 40 million Americans — including 6.5 million children — lived in households that were food insecure, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. This means that these families were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet their needs.
To help alleviate hunger locally, roughly 6,000 scouts will canvass area neighborhoods on Saturday, Nov. 3 to distribute food-collection bags to homes. The following weekend, on Saturday, Nov. 10, scouts will pick up the bags filled with non-perishable items and deliver them to community food pantries. The Gulf Stream Council Service Center is also another public drop-off location.
The Scout Oath includes a promise “to help other people at all times.” The scouts live that promise every day, and they are proud to partner with neighbors this month to reduce hunger in the Gulf Stream Council service area.
Last year, the scouts collected 42,370 pounds of food. This year, they hope to collect 150,000 pounds of food.
The Gulf Stream Council has been serving the youth of Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Henry, Glades and Okeechobee counties for more than 104 years. There are currently more than 8,000 registered members — 6,000 youth and 2,000 adult volunteers — benefiting from the programs offered through the council. The headquarters for the council is in Palm Beach Gardens. For more information, visit www.gulfstreamcouncil.org.
