Another successful year for Scouting for Food!

October 25, 2022

The Boy Scouts of America, Hawkeye Area Council has officially wrapped up its Annual Scouting for Food Campaign. The Scouts took to the streets collecting donations in their neighborhoods for the needy. Citizens wishing to donate, placed bags full of non-perishable food on their doorsteps which were distributed a week prior to over 150,000 homes. 66 local Scout Troops and Packs comprising of nearly 1600 youth then picked up bags and all donations went directly to the HACAP Food Reservoir where over 300 volunteers waited to sort and box all the food. Boxed and sorted food is then transferred to local food agencies in 7 counties in Eastern Iowa. Collectively, the Scouting for Food Drive brought in a total of 73,205 pounds of food from Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and its neighboring areas which translates to over 61,005 meals for those who need it most in our community during the winter months and worth over $136,000 .
 
“Thank you to everyone in our community for their efforts to make this years food drive a success,” said Sarah Dawson, Scout Executive for the Council. “I’m so proud of the Scouts and our leaders for spending the time over the past few weekends participating in a program that will directly benefit others who need their help. Scouting for Food is a great example of our Scouts, parents, and leaders working together to make a positive impact in our communities. Service to others is the heart and soul of our program.”
 
According to Kim Guardado, HACAP Food Reservoir Director, “We know that children without adequate access to food cannot develop successfully, families cannot plan for their future, and seniors find it more difficult to remain independent. Through our partner agencies, like meal sites, shelters, food pantries and senior centers across 7 Iowa counties, we can better serve people who are food insecure. We appreciate the Boy Scouts' partnership with this work. This food drive has a significant impact on our community and helps over 53,000 community members living with hunger in east central Iowa. Every pound of food donated helps to feed the one in eight people who go to bed hungry in our service area.”
 
The Boy Scouts, Hawkeye Area Council serves over 2,000 youth in Benton, Linn, Jones, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Washington counties in Iowa. The Council, supported by 2,018 volunteers, is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA. If you or know of someone who is interested in joining the Scouting program, please contact the Hawkeye Area Council Service Center today.
 
The HACAP Food Reservoir distributes food to 169 non-profit partner agencies in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington counties.

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