Southeast Missouri was on Saturday part of the largest one-day food drive in the Boy Scouts of America.
Scouting for Food collected 1.9 million food items across counties like Butler and Stoddard, as well as the Bootheel region, St. Louis metro area, and central and southern Illinois.
Scouts canvassed neighborhoods to help stock local food pantry shelves just in time for the holidays, according to a press release.
It’s not too late to give, organizers added. Residents who did not receive a bag or forgot to donate can still participate. MERS Missouri Goodwill, 2019 Scouting For Food title sponsor, is accepting non-perishable and canned food donations at all of its store locations Nov. 17-24.
“We are grateful for another generous Scouting For Food collection,” said Ronald Green, Scout executive/CEO of the Greater St. Louis Area Council. “These efforts would not be possible without the entire community stepping up to help those in need. The generosity and commitment to our community are what make this region a great place to live and work.”
In Southeast Missouri, central and southern Illinois, Scouts delivered donations directly to local food pantries.
More than 427,000 people in the bi-state region are food insecure (going hungry). That’s 1 out of every 7 people in the area, organizers said. Nearly 114,000 of those people are children. For more information visit Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study - http://map.feedingamerica.org .