SCOUTING FOR FOOD

                                      PATRIOTS' PATH COUNCIL, BSA

Hunger Facts New Process!!! Reporting your Results  Participation Certificates **Download and Print as you need! WORD DOC or PDF Background General Guidelines Emergency Food Providers (Please Note: this site is not maintained by the Council and we have no control over its contents or information) Sample Press Release

---

PATRIOTS' PATH COUNCIL, BSA

Did you know that more than 30 million Americans, including 6 million children, go hungry at some time every month...And that today there are more hungry people in our country than at any time during the past 40 years?  Emergency food providers across New Jersey report an increased demand for services over the last three years, increasing their distribution from 5%-40% a year since 2000.

“With the downturn in the economy we are seeking more and more working people than ever before coming for food.  It is hard to buy food when your limited funds must go for escalating shelter costs, increased utiliy and fuel costs, childcare, and healthcare because your low-paying job doesn’t have health insurance benefits.  At the same time donations to the pantries in the network have declined by 20%.  This is a very challenging time for emergency food providers.  We need to to come up with long term solutions that address the problem of hunger in NJ and help our neediest citizens.”  Sharon Reilly-Tobin, Program Director, Emergency Food & Nutrition Network, Catholic Community Services.

Patriots' Path Council, BSA proudly provides continuing support to the National Scouting for Food Good Turn. This program embodies one the highest ideals of Scouting—service to the community—by meeting the local needs of the hungry through the practical application of the “Daily Good Turn.” 

 

Scouting for Food is a year round national initiative that cumulatively collects millions of pounds of food for the hungry across the country.  Locally, Patriots Path Council coordinates food collection and identifies legitimate community agencies to warehouse and distribute the food items collected to the needy at no cost.  You can Scout for Food in any season but we encourage you to collect food in February, May, July, and November as many emergency food providers have expressed a tremendous need for support in these months.  

The suggested food collection months will be themed as follows: 
See a timeline for these collections here

February-Have a Heart. 

May-Spring Cleaning. 

July-Free Hunger. 

November-Helping Hands

 

Thousands of Scouts within Patriots’ Path Council (serving Morris County, Somerset County, Sussex County, and Union County and parts of Middlesex County) participated in this program and reported collecting some 133,000 food items.

 

Please take a moment to carefully review the following information on how you can support this program. For more information on hunger in New Jersey or for a list of emergency food providers in your county visit SEFAN (Statewide Emergency Food and Anti-Hunger Network) (Please Note: this site is not maintained by the Council and we have no control over its contents or information)

Like a pebble thrown into a still lake, your efforts have a far-reaching impact on the community…Never question whether you make a difference!

---

Hunger Facts

HUNGER: uneasy or painful sensation caused by the lack of food.

"Hunger in America:" recurrent and involuntary lack of access to sufficient food due to poverty or constrained resources that can lead to malnutrition over time.

FOOD SECURITY: assured access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life with no need for recourse to emergency food sources or other extraordinary coping behaviors to meet basic food needs

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

In NJ, food pantries, soup kitchens, and other non-profit organizations provide food assistance to over 500,000 people every month. (Americas Second Harvest)

42% of households receiving food assistance had to choose between buying food and paying rent. 44% had to choose between buying food and paying utilities or heating fuel. (Americas Second Harvest)

The number of families with children requesting emergency food assistance has increased by 40% (US Conference of Mayors)

SOME CAUSES OF HUNGER...

Unemployment: Many of those who have lost their jobs are now running out of unemployment benefits. From December 2003 through April 2004 nearly 70,000 people in NJ exhausted all their unemployment benefits (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2004)

Low wage work & fixed incomes: 20% of the workforce (26 million people in America) earn $8.23 an hour or less. Most of them are adults supporting families.

High cost of housing: In order to afford an average rent and meet basic living expenses in NJ, a worker would have to earn $19.74 per hour or more. A worker earning minimum wage ($5.15 per hour) would have to work 153 hours a week to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment

---

---

GUIDELINES

BAGS:
Patriots Path Council provides plastic bags donated by The Wakefern Corp. (Shop Rite folks) and Inserts which we can customize. The Shop Rite bags have Scouting for Food printed on them and denote food needs. Sign out bags at the following locations. Be sure to sign out the number of bags you take

Pick up bags at:

Wyatt Scout Shop (973-765-9322 x233)

Mountainside Scout Shop (908-654-9191)

Calculate the number of bags you will need by multiplying each participating Scout by 25.

 

PLANNING:
Choose the time of year you want to collect (see suggested schedules)

Develop a plan for covering your territory on distribution and collection day.

Coordinate with other local Scouts in your community to maximize your efforts and impact on the community at large.

Make sure everyone knows the bag distribution and food collection days.
NOTE:
starting times
rallying location
street assignments
food sorting area
food drop off location
follow up plan for missed houses

NOTE: Unfortunately, the Patriots Path Council has no way of knowing who left what where and is unable to answer calls regarding uncollected contributions so please include your contact information on the inserts (door hangers) provided.

Scouting for Food Coordinators, please be sure to include created labels with your contact information to affix to the Inserts (door hangs). Be sure to identify your unit (e.g. , Pack 34)

Pick up food donations on your scheduled pick-up date. This should be quick and easy for all concerned. Be sure to go back to every residence where a bag was left.

Identify a local church or food service agency.

For providers in Union County, contact Patricia Studnicky at the Union County Food Providers Network 908-353-7171 x28

For providers in Morris, Susses, Somerset and Middlesex, please visit SEFAN (Statewide Emergency and Anti-Hunger Network) (Please Note: this site is not maintained by the Council and we have no control over its contents or information)

Confirm facility access for food sorting and drop-off on the designated collection date.

Three weeks before you Food Drive, contact local newspapers, weeklies, and so on...to print a brief story about your Scouting for Food efforts. Consider using local church bulletins, community bulletin boards, local access TV... go to the Marketing Page for more details

Sample Press Release

 

WHEN YOU DISTRIBUTE/COLLECT:
Remember:You represent Scouting to the community.
Make a good impression.
A SCOUT IS CLEAN.
Be sure to leave the facility looking better than when you first arrived.

All youth members and leaders should wear their Scout uniform during all Scouting for Food activities. Politely decline any cash contributions as this violates National BSA policy.

Follow Youth Protection Guidelines:
Use the buddy system with adult supervision.
Adults need not go door-to-door with the Scouts. They should be close by to keep an eye on everything.
Remind boys to ALWAYS stay in sight of the adult in charge and NEVER enter anyone's home under any circumstances.

Distribute bags to residences only...NO businesses, NO housing areas with controlled access, or places with posted rules prohibiting solicitation. Youth members should either hand the bags to residents or leave them on, or near, the front door where it will not blow away or be missed.

Pick up food donations ONE WEEK from drop off date
Bags note that Scouts will pick up bags Saturday after drop off no later than 3 PM. Please do your best to adhere to this guideline.

Scouting for Food Coordinators-include your contact information. Be sure they identify your unit (i.e. Pack 34)
REMEMBER: The Patriots Path Council has no way of knowing who left what where and is unable to answer calls regarding uncollected contributions, so please include your contact information on the inserts (door hangers) provided.

This should be quick and easy for all concerned. Be sure to go back to every residence where a bag was left.

Check to make sure that there are no perishables included in the bag before taking it. Return such items to the resident or leave them.

FOOD ITEM COUNT
Sample several bags to come up with an average number of items per bag.
Multiply that number by your best guestimate of the total number of bags collected.

Visit www.goodturnforamerica.org to report your food collection results. follow the instructions listed. You will need your Unit ID to register and create a user name/password. We distributed Unit ID #'s to Committee Chairs and Cubmasters and Scoutmasters in the Winter of 2003. If you do not have your Unit ID please contact Beth Miller-Porter at beth.millerporter@scouting.org

 

CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
Save this file on your computer and print from home.
Distribute to particpiants
WORD DOC or PDF

 

NEED HELP OR HAVE QUESTIONS?
Contact Beth Miller-Porter at 973-765-9322 x259