Scouts encouraging community to help make a difference this holiday season

PRESS RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 27, 2009

Local scouts understand that sometimes the simplest deed can create a significant impact in the lives of Martin County’s less fortunate residents during the holiday season.

Granted, organizing 1,200 scouts and 300 adult volunteers for two consecutive weekends in a county-wide food drive is no easy task, but it’s this dedicated approach to the annual Scouting for Food Drive that makes it easy for residents to make a difference.

On Oct. 31, scouts from the Sailfish District of the Boy Scouts of America Gulf Stream Council will disseminate through Martin County leaving behind empty grocery bags requesting residents to donate non-perishable food items.

The scouts will return Nov. 7 to collect the donated food from designated pickup areas, such as next to mail boxes, inside clubhouses or near a community gate.

Suggestions for non-perishable food items include: canned vegetables and fruit, soup, rice, beans, pasta, boxed potatoes, peanut butter and canned meat.

The scouts will then take the food to the White Doves Holiday Project warehouse at the Martin County Fairgrounds.

“Last year’s Scouting for Food Drive yielded 13,000 pounds of food and helped feed nearly 1,400 local families a holiday meal,” Scouting for Food Director Mike Baldwin said. “We would love to be able to collect more food and help feed more families this year, but we need Martin County residents to help us by donating whatever they can afford.”

Call Mike Baldwin at (561) 747-4227 to get involved in a Scouting for Food Drive or for more information.

The Sailfish District is part of the Gulf Stream Council, Boy Scouts of America.  For more information about scouting activities in Martin County or to find a unit nearby, visit www.sailfishdistrict.org or www.gulfstreamcouncil.org.

For more information about the Martin Volunteers White Doves Holiday Project, call (772) 220-4472 or visit www.martinvolunteers.org/whitedoves. Martin Volunteers is a United Way of Martin County program.