Tips for a Successful Scouting for Food

All units should know their assigned territory. If you don't, check with your district Scouting for Food Chair or your District Executive.

Work with other troops/packs in your area to make sure your community is covered.

When assigning neighborhoods to scouts, take into account the size of your scouts versus the size of your neighborhood. Younger cub scouts tire out fast when there are long driveways and spacious yards.

All members, both youth and adult, should be in uniform or unit shirts.

In addition to your uniform wear appropriate clothing for the weather.

Determine an assembly place and time for November 9 and November 16 (use your regular unit meeting place or another convenient location.)

Assemble at meeting place early enough to brief adults and distribute flyers.

Review plans for the day.

Remind your Scouts DO NOT ENTER ANY HOMES. Scouts should be instructed to remain outside of all homes.

Do not enter yards with animals on the loose.

Sticky post-it’s should be distributed beginning at 9:00 AM the weekend of November 9th.

DO NOT PUT STICKY NOTE FLYERS IN OR ON MAILBOXES! IT IS AGAINST THE LAW!

All youth should travel in groups of two (buddy system).

Vehicles should stay as close to the youth as possible. It is advisable for adults to walk on sidewalks and supervise.

Work only your assigned territory. On boundary streets, collect only on your side of the street, unless you are given other instructions.

Skip apartments with no solicitation rules or controlled access. Skip businesses.

Food must be collected beginning no earlier than 8:00 AM in the same area you distributed flyers. Be sure to send a team back out when you think you are done so you do not miss anyone.

Have a plan to remind youth and adults about the November 16 food collection.

Be certain on collection day (Nov. 16) that all houses have been covered. Have a couple of leaders drive through the neighborhoods once more after scouts have finished to pick up any stray bags of food. The Council always gets calls that folks forgot to pick up food. Please be sure to go back to your area to pick up bags of food!

Contact the food pantry at your church or school to deliver the collected food if you are not using one listed.

Promote your unit's collection day on social media and at your chartered organization.

Put out a bin in the School(s) your unit draws from, encouraging kids to contribute.

Have a contest in your unit encouraging scout families to donate as well. For example: The scout with the most food collected gets to give a Pie in the Face to their leader.