This year we are pleased to announce plans for another coordinated food collection effort with the Baltimore Area Boy Scout Council.

How can you participate?

• Troop leaders need to

  Hunger in Maryland Among households with children under the age of 18, 81% are food insecure or at risk of hunger. Among households with adults over 65, 50% are food insecure or at risk of hunger. 22.5% of clients served own their own homes, and 63% rent. 26% report to being behind on last month’s rent/mortgage because of the choices they are forced to make, such as paying for utilities, medical, or other essential expenses. 48% of adult clients served are high school graduates and 20% have some higher education. To learn more about hunger in Maryland, visit the Maryland Food Bank.

  contact your Service Unit Manager/Representative with the neighborhood streets that the troop wishes to canvass. Then the Boy Scouts will be map the coordinated bag distribution to ensure that every Central Maryland household receives a food bag.
• Bags will be distributed to the Service units in January.
• Girl and Boy Scouts will distribute food bags door to door for one week beetween Saturday, February 23rd and Saturday, March 1st.
• Bag Collection Day is on March 1st. On this day, both Boy and Girl Scouts return to their assigned area and collect the food donations.
• Collected food donations are then taken to one of the designated collection points or your local food bank.
• Return your form by March 31, 2009. If you are participating in the Harvest for the Hungry patch packet program, collect your patch program information and form in the VRC or here. If you do not want to participate in the patch program, fill out this form.

Tips and Tricks

• Try to find creative ways to get the food bags out to folks.
• Food bags could be distributed at religious services on Saturday or Sunday, as is appropriate for the girls in your troop.
• Copy and distribute the "perfect bag."
• Try distributing bags to area businesses and their employees and at area events.
• Encouarge troops to set up membership information and/or food drive tables at local supermarkets.

If you have questions, please contact Sherry Dowdell, Program Specialist at sdowdell@gscm.org or at 410-358-9711 ext. 245.