Don’t be surprised if you find a bag on your doorstep on Saturday, November 4.

It’s a Scouting for Food bag put there by area Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts who are partnering to collect more than 250,000 pounds of food November 4-11. It’s part of their third annual “Scouting for Food” drive to benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.

The scouts will distribute bags in neighborhoods throughout their service areas, which include communities from Wayne to Oakland and Macomb Counties, and Sanilac and Monroe Counties.

So if you find one on your doorstep please fill it with canned or boxed foods – glass containers will not be accepted – and place the bags on your porch for the scouts to pick-up by Saturday, November 11.

Gleaners will distribute the donated food items to individuals in need in Detroit-area communities.  Last year, Gleaners distributed more than 34 million pounds of food to soup kitchens, shelters and pantries in southeast Michigan.

The Boy Scouts of America established Scouting for Food as a region-wide service project in 1988.

“Scouting for Food has been a tradition of Boy Scouts of America nationally for over 30 years,” says Vic Pooler, scout executive for the BSA’s Great Lakes Field Service Council. “This longstanding commitment to community service is what Scouting is all about, and partnering with our local Girl Scouts is a wonderful way for more Scouts to canvass areas in our region to provide more food for those in need before the holidays arrive and the demand becomes so much greater.”

More than 800 Boy Scout units with the Michigan Crossroads Council, the statewide Boy Scout organization that manages the Great Lakes FSC, and Girl Scout troops with Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan are expected to distribute bags and collect food.

“The Girl Scout Mission focuses on building girls who make the world a better place, and that’s exactly what Scouting for Food allows our girls to do,” says Denise Dalrymple, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. “The steady incline of participation from our troops each year truly speaks volumes about the kindness and generosity of our girls and volunteers, and their commitment to living out the Girl Scout Promise and Law. We are truly grateful to be a part of making a difference in the lives of so many families in need.”

Last year, the Scouts collected close to 200,000 pounds of food for Gleaners. Since the inception of its partnership with Gleaners in 2009, the Boy Scouts have collected more than 2,000,000 pounds of food donations for the organization.

“The Scouting for Food drive helps Gleaners fill our partner agency pantry shelves before the holidays,” says Gerry Brisson, Gleaners’ president and CEO. “With colder weather approaching, many struggling families will be forced to choose between paying heating bills and buying food for their families. The donations from this drive help make sure that these families receive the support they need.”

So please fill up that bag. Your contribution will help Gleaners meet the needs of its clients a critical time of the year.

  Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, Gerry Brisson, Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, helping end hunger in Detroit, Michigan Crossroads Council