Listen to this article
The Las Vegas Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (BSA), is retooling its Scouting for Food Drive beginning April 22. In response to The Salvation Army Southern Nevada’s service to the Las Vegas valley and beyond, food pantries are being depleted. Even the 135,000 pounds of food collected by the Scouts in mid-November has been given to families, many of whom have been affected by COVID-19 closures and layoffs.
Patrick Ballinger, South Field Director for the Las Vegas Council, BSA, reached out to The Salvation Army, which BSA has partnered with to collect donated non-perishable food for over 31 years. “During these trying times, we understand that The Salvation Army is running out of food to distribute to needy families,” Ballinger said. “We appreciate the opportunity to continue our long-standing partnership, especially in these difficult times.”
With this new version of Scouting for Food, donors will be able to make a “no touch” drop off of non-perishable food such as canned meats, vegetables and fruit, peanut butter and jelly, pastas and jarred or canned sauce, boxed ready to cook meals and more. Food will be collected at the Las Vegas Council offices each Wednesday beginning April 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteers will take the donations out of the cars as they come through and sort them for delivery to The Salvation Army’s Henderson Food Pantry. The food will also be shared with the organization’s Pahrump and Mesquite pantries as needed.
“I think what Boy Scouts do for The Salvation Army and the families we help is simply amazing,” said Major Randy Kinnamon, Salvation Army Clark County Commander. “It is wonderful that in this time of crisis for our valley residents, the Scouts have found a creative way to build upon our already strong partnership, assisting us in Doing the Most Good for those we serve.”
Donors can also give cash for the purchase of food for the Hope Pantry by texting ScoutingForFood to 51555.
HOW TO HELP:
- If you’d like to make a monetary donation, please click here to make a gift.
- Text ‘GIVE’ to 52000 to make a $10 donation to The Salvation Army. This will automatically add a one-time donation to your next mobile phone bill.
- For information about volunteering, please visit volunteer.usawest.org.
- To learn more about how to support The Salvation Army’s relief efforts, please click here.
