Scouting for Food – Glade Valley Food Bank Shelves Empty

Glade Valley’s Boy Scout annual Scouting for Food drive begins November 1st. This year, the need for donations of non-perishable foods at the Glade Valley Food Bank can be seen in the empty store rooms. Glade Valley Community Services, which operates the Food Bank, has been forced to purchase a lot of food to make up for the shortage of donations.

Boy Scouts leave empty food bags on front doors of Glade Valley homes on Saturday, November 1st. On Saturday, November 8th, the area Scouts return to collect bags filled with non-perishable foods left outside of homes by 9:00 a.m. Scouts deliver the collected food to the Glade Valley Food Bank.

Food can also be dropped off by residents that day at the Glade Valley Food Bank in Walkersville Town Hall between 9:00 a.m. and noon.

The Boy Scouts, leaders, parents, and volunteers sort, box, and store the food on the empty shelves of the Food Bank. Volunteers are needed on November 8th to work at the Food Bank all day, but especially from noon – 2 p.m.

Last year, the Boy Scouts collected about 18,000 pounds of food, enough to last months.

This year, the need for food continues to grow. New families come to the Food Bank each week, and the number of families increases monthly. September was the busiest month this year with 192 households consisting of 810 people receiving 7336 food items in addition to bread and produce.

Over the summer, much of the produce came from gardens in the community. Local grocery stores donate thousands of breads, bakery items, produce, and other food items.

Donations of food items can be dropped off throughout the year at the Glade Valley Food Bank in the lower level of Walkersville’s Town Hall on Mondays from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Most needed food items include:

• cereal,
• pasta sauce,
• canned pasta,
• canned vegetables,
• canned fruit,
• tuna,
• boxed potatoes,
• rice,
• peanut butter,
• jelly, and
• toilet paper.

Glade Valley Community Services always welcomes new volunteers. The organization has an immediate need for a volunteer to schedule volunteers at the Glade Valley Food Bank; all work can be done at home by e-mail. For information about volunteering or donating, please leave a message at 301-845-4229.