Submitted
On Nov. 1, Westfield residents are likely to see Scouts strolling their neighborhoods.
Westfield Scouting America Boys Troop 107 and Girls Troop 1070 will hold their annual Scouting For Food on Sat., Nov. 1. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Scouts will canvass Westfield neighborhoods to gather nonperishable food items to stock the critically low shelves of Open Doors of Westfield. Look for signs at the entrance of your neighborhood to know whether Scouts will be there!
“We have partnered with Open Doors for well over 20 years with a fall food drive and collected thousands of pounds of food each year to be distributed to Westfield families in need,” Troop 1070 Committee Member and food drive coordinator Danica Eyler said. “We are proud to be Westfield based and helping local residents!”
Each of the last two Novembers, the Scouts have collected and sorted more than 4,000 pounds of food and were able to make a significant cash donation as well. This year, the troops will be joined by Scouts from Troops 132 and 1320, 1910 and 1920, Venture Crew 451, and Cubs from Packs 107 and 126.
“This annual Scouting food drive is impactful to our operations and aids in donating food at the right time,” said Kurt Wanninger, Westfield City Council member and Vice President of Operations for Open Doors. “This food will benefit the overall wellbeing of our community in more ways than most realize – the single parent making ends meet, the elderly person who has to decide between buying food for their pet or buying their meds, the child that will not go to bed or go to school hungry.”
According to Eyler, Scouting For Food marks the second largest collection day of the year for Open Doors.
“It is vital to ensuring their ability to provide holiday meals to our community and weekend snacks to our students in need,” she said.
Signs at the entrances of neighborhoods, including Centennial, Coventry, Oak Manor, Village Farms, Harmony and Silver Lakes, will let residents know if Scouts will be in the area. To participate, residents can have food items bagged and labeled “Scouts” or “Open Doors” and ready for pickup by the front door.
Donations will also be accepted at Webster & Garino, LLC, at 209 E. 179th St., Westfield, through Nov. 1 and in the parking lot west of Open Doors at 19360 Tomlinson Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2.
Scouting America Troops 107 and 1070 have been serving the community of Westfield and providing character development, leadership training, and outdoor adventure to youth for more than 75 years. They meet on Mondays at 7 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, 318 N. Union St., Westfield. To find out more, visit troopwebhost.org/Troop107Westfield.
For a list of critically needed items, visit opendoorswestfield.org.
