Photo By Spc. Dustin B. Smith | Utah Army National Guard Soldiers and Granite Education Foundation volunteers pose for...... read more read more
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DRAPER, Utah – Members of the Utah National Guard, Scouts of America, and community leaders participated in the 38th Annual Scouting for Food drive statewide to collect food donations for Utah families in need, February 10, 2024 in Salt Lake County, Utah.
Scouting for Food is one of the largest donation drives in Utah that provides tons of donated food items to food banks and pantries every year. It is an annual food drive that has been around for more than 38 years and unites Utah communities in the fight against hunger.
This year, the statewide drive aims to collect 100,000 pounds of food and non-perishable goods for Utahns in need.
“I thought that maybe we would have a little less. But we’ve actually done pretty well, people are really willing to give, and everybody’s really generous between the food and the money donations they were dropping off,” said Assistant Scoutmaster Mike Hoover, Troop 51, Sandy Utah.
One food pantry that benefited from the drive was the Granite School Foundation in West Valley City. The foundation provides food to families and children living in the Granite School District. In addition to serving as a food pantry for individuals and families, the foundation also creates weekend food kits for students attending schools within the district.
“The Granite Education Foundation focuses on; removing barriers to learning for students and teachers in the Granite School District,” said Remi Prince of the Granite Education Foundation.
Having gathered more than 98,000 pounds of food for Utahns facing food insecurity in 2023, the Scouting for Food drive is hoping to collect even more food this year in an ongoing effort to fight food insecurity.
“What we focus on is making sure they’re fed in the classroom, but also fed on the weekends,” he said.
Prince said that one in 10 Utah households experience food insecurity, and more than 102,000 Utah families don't have the resources to buy their own food.
“We also do emergency food boxes for families who are in dire need,” he said.
The Foundation provides this service to any family in need of access to food at their own desired address, whether that be at home or school. Transportation can be a major barrier for accessing resources for any family and this service aims to ease food insecurity and the financial burden that comes with it.
“All of the donations today will be put out in our school snack pick up. Where social workers, principals, teachers could come and get snacks for their classrooms so that students are fed throughout the school day,” said Prince.
Scout troops gathered at more than 50 Utah Smith’s grocery stores to request and collect food donations. Other community centers and donations locations include, all Bank of Utah, the Red Hanger, Arctic Circle, and Young Automotive locations.
These companies have partnered with the scouts in an effort to collect as much food as possible.
Members of the Utah National Guard moved the donated food from the donation centers to food pantries and warehouses across the state. From here, they will be sorted through and given to Utah families who are in need.
For more information about Scouting for Food donation sites or to find a local food pantry, visit www.utahscouts.org/scoutingforfood.
For more information on the Granite Education Foundation, visit https://granitekids.org
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2024 07:11 |
| Story ID: | 464472 |
| Location: | DRAPER, UTAH, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Utah National Guard Assists Scouts to Feed Utah Families, by SPC Dustin B. Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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