Boy Scouts Begin November Food Drive

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Boy Scouts of America’s Sequoyah Council, which represents 16 counties in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee, hopes to collect more than 200,000 items during its annual November food drive, according to a group leader.

Ronald Cameron, program director for the Sequoyah Council, said thousands of area Scouts will participate in this year’s Scouting For Food Good Turn Project on Nov. 14 and Nov. 21.

On Nov. 14, the Scouts will tour area neighborhoods to leave bags on doors – along with lists of suggested food items to donate.

On Nov. 21, they will return to those neighborhoods to collect the bags of donated food.

“The food drive is always one of the biggest projects we do as Scouts each year, and this November will be no different,” Cameron said. “It’s our opportunity to do a good turn and dramatically help our communities.”

For the 22nd consecutive year, the Sequoyah Council will team up with Food City for the area drive. The Abindgdon-based supermarket chain will provide more than 150,000 bags for the effort, as well as other support.

“We’ve been doing this for 20-plus years, and there’s probably more need for food this year than ever before,” said Tom Hembree, Food City senior vice-president.

‘We’re definitely going to push a little harder and work even more to collect as much food as possible this November.”

Cameron said the annual Scouting For Food drive has become increasingly popular in recent years – and drawn rising local support – because contributors know the food donated will directly help people in their communities.

“Every bit of food we collect stays where we collect it, and that’s the beauty of what we’re doing,” Cameron said.

“If we collect it in Abingdon, it’s distributed in Abingdon. If we collect it in Bristol, it goes to a Bristol food pantry. So people can directly see the difference they’re making.”

Cameron said about 50 food agencies, across Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee, will receive items from the November drive.

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