Boy Scouts Help Salvation Army By Collecting 5.5 Tons Of Food

 
“That is a lot of food, but we need it,” said Major Daniel Henderson, Corps Officer. “We will be using this food primarily in the gift boxes we’ll give to area families in need at Christmas, but it will also help supplement our daily meal program, including special holiday meals we are serving on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.”
 
By standing in front of Stater Bros. stores on Nov. 2 and Nov. 9, the Boy Scouts collected 11,004 lbs. of food. Although this is the first they’ve actually weighed it, it may not be the first year they’ve collected this month. They have collected tons of food for the Salvation Army and other charities with meal programs for the past several years.
 
“There are a lot of needy people out there, so it may not go far, but hopefully it will help,” said Denise Wampole, Inland Empire Scouting for Food Coordinator.

 

Boy Scouts from San Bernardino, Rialto, Colton, Highland, Grand Terrace, Fontana, and Bloomington collected food for the Salvation Army. They were participating in a nationwide event the Boy Scouts of America calls “Scouting for Food.”
 
Each Scouting for Food drive benefits a local charity. For instance, not only did troops from San Bernardino and nearby communities collect food for the Salvation Army, a troop from Lake Arrowhead that is part of the same Arrowhead District as those helping the Salvation Army collected food for a shelter in Blue Jay.
 
The San Bernardino Salvation Army will put the food to good use. On Thanksgiving Day, it hosts a Thanksgiving Dinner that often brings in 300 people. Although much of the food served at that dinner is fresh, some of the non-perishable items the Boy Scouts collect may be included.
 
In December, the San Bernardino Corps assembles holiday food baskets for more than 600 local families. Canned food donations received from the Boy Scouts will be included in those baskets.  In addition to the holiday baskets, a delicious Christmas Dinner is served on Christmas Day to those in need.
 
And if there’s still any of the five-and-a-half tons of food left over after Christmas, the San Bernardino Corps also needs food every day for up to 75 people at its Hospitality House homeless shelter and up to 200 people who receive a free dinner served six nights a week at its 746 W. Fifth Street location.  More than 40,000 meals are served annually at the Fifth Street location.
 
The San Bernardino Corps of The Salvation Army serves Bloomington, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Rialto, and San Bernardino.  For help or for more information call The Salvation Army at  (909) 888-1336.
 
 
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
 
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church, and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. The San Bernardino Corps of The Salvation Army serves Bloomington, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Rialto, and San Bernardino. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.  Our local number is (909) 888-1336.
 

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