Scouting for Food: A giving tradition

Published by admin on Wed, 11/05/2025 - 8:47pm

With help from several volunteers, Weiser Scout Troop 350 sponsored by the Weiser Lions Club will be retrieving food donations from local area homes on Saturday, Nov. 8. The donations will be taken to WICAP and then distributed to local food pantries. Pictured are Maggie and Grayson Mulvey. Photo by Bob Barber
By: 
Keith Boles
This Saturday, Nov. 8, at 9 a.m. Weiser Scouting of America Troop 350 along with community helpers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will participate in the tradition known as Scouting for Food.
 Scouting for Food will have the scouts and volunteers pick up food donations and give them to those in need.
 The BSA (Boy Scouts of America) introduced the Scouting for Food program in the 1980s. This program is aimed to help those in need by having the community donate food items to poor or less fortunate individuals in the community.
 Scouting for Food encourages people to donate food by sending out flyers and on the second Saturday in November, the scout troops pick up the food and give it out to those in need. 
 The Weiser troop has been participating in the program since the beginning. When asked about his thoughts on it, Bob Barber, long time scout leader shared that the program has been beneficial to the troop and the community for many years.
 “Scouting for Food is just a great opportunity for the community to help provide food for those in need. And certainly for those who help gather the food, there is a sense of accomplishment and pride for helping out,” Barber said.
 Barber along with the rest of Troop 350 are quite passionate about this tradition. It’s easy to see this because for almost 40 years now, Barber along with the help of the scout troop and 40 to 60 volunteers have kept this time-tested tradition alive in the city of Weiser.
 The first week of November, the scout troop and volunteers go door to door and put flyers on door handles advertising the program along with advertising throughout the community. Once word gets out, the scouts and volunteers pick up the food on the second Saturday of November at 9 a.m. and drop it off at WICAP.
 After the food is dropped off at WICAP, the food is distributed to local food banks and those in need.
 For donation, it is required that the food be put in either a bag or box and donate non-perishable food items. It is also important not to donate anything with glass. 
 Every year this project is a massive success with last year the scout’s getting nearly one ton of food donated. This year the scouts hope to surpass last year’s totals.
 Please have your bag on your front doorstep by 9 a.m. on Saturday for pick up. If you are missed, either take your donation to WICAP at 32 W. Main St. during working hours or contact Barber at 208-869-6890.
 

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Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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