San Francisco Bay Area Council
Boy Scouts of America

WHAT IS SCOUTING FOR FOOD?

Scouting for food is the largest single food drive in the Bay Area, with twelve councils participating. The Boy Scouts call this their "Good Turn Day" when thousands of Scouts turn out for a single event to help others in need.

Right before the holidays, Scouts distribute special collection bags to porches and front steps of residences all around the Bay Area and Northern California. The bags are printed with instructions asking the residents to place canned goods in the bag and put it out on their porch the following Saturday.

On the following Saturday, Scouts return to collect the filled bags and take them to the designated collection sites where the food is stored, boxed and transported to local food banks and distributed to people in need - sick and home-bound elders, families in crisis, the homeless, jobless adults, and others who need food.

In the San Francisco Bay Area over 3,000 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Explorers participated last year and more are expected to join in the fight against hunger this year. Nearly 118,000 pounds or 59 tons of food was collected by Scouts last year locally. Food distribution centers have come to rely on this huge influx of food right before the holidays. Thanks to the Scouts, many people who would otherwise go hungry have food for the holidays.

Bag Distribution Day - Saturday, November 10, 2001
Scouts will, deliver the Scouting for Food collection bags to doorsteps and porches all over the Bay Area and Northern California

Collection Day - Saturday, November 17, 2001
Scouts will return to homes, between 9 AM and 2:30 PM, to collect the food filled bags and take them to collection sites for sorting, boxing and transport to the Alameda County and San Francisco Food Banks.