NEW PROVIDENCE GROUPS JOIN TOGETHER FOR 35TH ANNUAL SCOUTING FOR FOOD DRIVE

New Providence’s Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will join together with Faith Lutheran Church and the Community Service Association of New Providence (CSA) for the 2016 Scouting for Food drive. Now in its 35th year, this community-wide event collects non-perishable items for local families in need.
This year, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will deliver grocery bags to Borough residents’ homes on Saturday, November 12. On Saturday, November 19, they will return to pick up the filled bags and bring all the collected items to Faith Lutheran Church on South Street where they are sorted and packed.
A portion of the food items are given to struggling New Providence families who receive assistance from the CSA. The rest of the food is donated to the Starfish Food Pantry based in Plainfield. Hilary McCarron, New Providence mom and volunteer organizer for the Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts, said, “As we look ahead to the holiday season, we are mindful that there are those who struggle financially to put food on their table. For over three decades, scouts in the town of New Providence have exemplified the scout oath by taking part in this drive. We thank the New Providence community and our local supermarkets for their generous support. Their efforts help feed thousands of people in need.”
She noted, “We also ask that drivers be vigilant about the boys’ safety as they head door-to-door and cross streets for this important effort.”
In addition to staples such as pasta, soup, and cereal, other items needed for the food drive include mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pancake mix, and pancake syrup. The groups involved also ask that those participating in the food drive carefully check expiration dates on the donated items.
Scouting for Food would not be possible without the support of area grocery stores including ACME in New Providence, Kings in Summit, ShopRite in Stirling, and Stop & Shop in Berkeley Heights. These stores generously donate more than 5,000 grocery bags to the cause. For more information, contact: John Malinauskas at the CSA (908) 665-8254.