Scouts from Mountlake Terrace Boy Scout Troop 60 mobilized a food drive last weekend to give back to the Mountlake Terrace community, successfully collecting over 950 pounds of food as well as $138 in cash donations for those in need.

“It’s getting colder, and some people don’t have homes and can’t afford food, and we don’t want those people to go without” said Tenderfoot Scout Evan Kelly.

“Helping out makes the community happier and friendlier,” added scout Theo Cooksey. “And when they have food, they have one less thing to worry about in life.”

Troop member Zachary O’Connell agreed: “It is important to help neighbors, and our neighbors make our community.”

Evan, Theo and Zachary are working on the Citizenship in the Community merit badge, one of the merit badges required to become an Eagle Scout. To complete the merit badge, scouts perform at least eight hours of volunteer service.

Evan, Theo and Zachary joined to brainstorm what they could do to meaningfully help their neighbors. “It was between a food drive and a toy drive,” explained Evan, “and people need food more than toys.”

They settled on Mountlake Terrace Concern for Neighbors Food Bank as the beneficiary, and Evan made the call to set it up, partnering with QFC to provide a collection site. The three invited other scouts to join their efforts, and welcomed the Webelos Scouts from Pack 76, who are working on their Arrow of Light awards, to help as well.

The scouts learned a lot. “I learned organization and that there are a lot of people who are willing to help,” said Evan.

“I learned planning, organizing and leadership skills,” said Theo.

Zachary noted that “communication is really important to putting on events.”

“Not everyone is able to buy their own food and not one person can help everyone,” said scout Owen Davies. “But if you get a community together you can do more. Small amounts matter.”

The scouts also described how this food drive fits within their troop’s other public service efforts. For instance, scout Owen Thorpe talked about his volunteering to help sort pajamas for Holly House, a local charity that provides clothing to more than 2,000 low-income children (infant to 17 years old), in 15 schools in the Edmonds School District. The scouts explained that they hold a competition between patrols over who does more service, and they have minimum service hours required to be eligible to participate in popular programs, such as the troop’s LAN Jam, an overnight computer, gaming and musical party.

Scoutmaster Patrick Moore noted that this food drive event was really special because of the leadership shown by the scouts who organized it themselves. Giving back to the community is part of the troop’s regular programming. The scouts regularly contribute service hours to the Rotary club during the Edmonds Waterfront Festival, to the Knights of Columbus both during Tour de Terrace and their annual Santa Breakfast, and they help the Ladies’ Guild at St. Pius X.  Each holiday season, the scouts commit 10 percent of their fundraising from selling wreaths and holiday decorations to the troop’s “Adopt-a-Family” program to make sure that a low-income family in the community can have a warm holiday celebration.

But in this case, the food drive event was fully taken on by the scouts themselves. “These are younger scouts – sixth-, seventh- or eighth grade scouts – so for them to come up with it and completely organize it on their own really shows a lot of initiative on their part,” Moore said.

For those who missed the scouts’ food drive but still want to donate, Concern for Neighbors accepts donations directly at their facility Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.  The facility is at 4700 228th St. S.W., Mountlake Terrace. More information about Concern for Neighbors, a community food bank serving those in need living in Brier, Mountlake Terrace and parts of Lynnwood, is available at www.concern4neighborsfb.org/.

Troop 60 meets most Tuesday nights from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at St. Pius X church in Mountlake Terrace, in the gymnasium. More can be learned, including contact details, at www.troopwebhost.org/Troop60MountlakeTerrace/Index.htm.

Pack 76 meets monthly at the American Legion in Mountlake Terrace. Learn more at www.troopwebhostcs.org/Pack76Brier/.

— Submitted by Boy Scout Troop 60