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“Scouting for Food” benefits Long Beach Salvation Army.
The Long Beach Area Boy Scouts brought in over 10 tons of food to support services of The Salvation Army in Long Beach, Calif., through their annual Scouting for Food program. Continuing a strong partnership that benefits the community, the Long Beach Citadel Corps and area Boy Scouts collaborated on the program—culminating in a food rally on November 7.
Scouts went door to door, set up shop in grocery stores, and asked area businesses to support this major event that supplies the Citadel Corps’ Family Services and Operation Christmas Center.
During the summer, Dave and Mara Childers, coordinators of Scouting for Food, began planning this vital program, which feeds many families in Long Beach and surrounding communities. The Childers, with Gail Crandall, assistant to the Citadel’s Commanding Officer, set up the Nov. 7th food rally event.
“During the food rally, vehicles of all sizes came to the Long Beach Corps to drop off the food items collected throughout the campaign,” said Christopher Golden, corps assistant for program, who was onsite during the all day event.
“We had Boy Scouts unloading the vehicles that came with food; we had Scouts sorting the food; we had Scouts packing the food for the Operation Christmas Center and we had them stocking the shelves for the Emergency Food Pantry. For The Salvation Army, the Boy Scouts arrived when they were most needed—at a time when we almost closed the Emergency Food Pantry; our shelves were bare. The Scouts, “doing the most good,” saw a need and met it.
“We are most grateful to the Boy Scouts for their continued tradition of serving the community along with us here at The Salvation Army.”