On a chilly day in early November, residents of several Statesboro neighborhoods—Hazelwood, Old Indian Trail, Stonebrook, Timber Ridge and Whispering Pines—discovered reusable bags hung on their front doors along with a flyer labeled, “Scouting for Food” and an invitation to make an impact. The note asked residents to fill the bag with nonperishable donations which members of Cub Scouts Pack 935 would be back to collect on Veteran’s Day.
The project was part of the local Cub Scouts’ second annual Scouting for Food initiative and was a tremendous success: The scouts collected roughly 1,400 pounds of donations for the second-Saturday food pantry at Eastern Heights Baptist Church (EHBC).
Amy Anderson, the EHBC Food Pantry Ministry Coordinator, was shocked at just how much food the Cub Scouts brought for the pantry. “We are so grateful for all the work Cub Scout Pack 935 put into collecting these food items and to our neighbors who donated. This donation is a huge blessing for our food pantry and will allow us to continue to serve those who are struggling with food insecurity in our community,” she shared.
Scouting for food helps scouts put service into practice
Ben Wicker, former assistant cubmaster and den leader for Pack 935, coordinated this project as part an immersive volunteer leader development program offered by Scouts BSA.
Wicker explains his dedication to the Scouting for Food project as a way to help scouts grow individually while meeting a vital need in the community. “This program is an extremely hands-on, tangible way for the scouts to see they are contributing to others in their community,” says Wicker, who currently volunteers as assistant cubmaster with Pack 6 out of Tallahassee, Florida.
“We do try and reach out either independently or through scout families to the neighborhood HOAs to ensure there are not any issues with the program,” Wicker explained. The pack leaders try to choose neighborhoods where the scouts live, or where the families think residents would be supportive.
Beyond food, scouts’ reusable bags improve sustainability
When Veteran’s Day arrived on November 11th, the scouts braved the weather to gather bags full of food, nonperishable goods, and other much-needed items. The donations included canned foods of all sorts, pasta, peanut butter, crackers, personal hygiene products, and many other items.
One week earlier, small but mighty groups of scouts had trekked around Statesboro hanging a total of 356 reusable bags and informational flyers on doors.
The pack chose reusable grocery bags as a part of their sustainability efforts, preventing grocery bags from going into landfills, and as a bonus, they can reuse the bags from year-to-year.
The bags were donated by Katie Bulmer, a former resident of Statesboro who works as a motivational speaker and marketing specialist, and by Catalyst Promotions of the Brooklet/Statesboro area.
The scouts are grateful for all of the community’s support of their project, and the neighborhood residents were happy to come through—for the Food Pantry and for the Cub Scouts. "I was thrilled to get the Cub Scouts food donation bag," says Connie Murphey, a resident of Hazelwood. "What a wonderful deed for the young boys, learning to give back to our community and become leaders. They truly take their scouts oath to heart."
Cub Scout Pack 935 meets weekly on Tuesday nights at Pittman Park United Methodist Church. The Cub Scout program places the youth who participate into small groups, or dens, by their current grade in elementary school.
Learn more about the Cub Scouts
From Kindergartners to 5th graders, the Scouts are placed in dens called the Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Bears, and Webelos – which has two years’ worth of programs. During the year, the Cub Scouts work on adventures that teach them skills in the outdoors, working with their hands, providing service to others, respecting nature, and personal development skills like communication, respect, and values.
As they work on their adventures, they are working toward their final rank, usually awarded at the end of the year, based upon the den in which they are placed (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, etc.). The Scouts in their final year, 5th grade, work to earn their Arrow of Light award, the highest award a Cub Scout can achieve. Behind all of this comes the unwavering support of the parents and volunteer leaders who dedicate their time to teach, support, plan, and celebrate with the scouts.
Pack 935 is chartered by American Legion Post 90 located in Statesboro and operates in the Twin Rivers District of the Coastal Georgia Council of Scouts BSA. If you would like more information about Pack 935, please reach out through the Pack 935 Facebook page and messenger (look for ‘Cub Scout Pack 935’).
