Be On the Lookout for Bags From Boy Scouts

When you come home to an empty bag on your door step either Saturday or Sunday — don't throw it away.

Instead, area Boy Scout troops are hoping residents will fill the bags with food to donate to Port Washington's Food Pantry.

Doug Schaefer, committee chairman for Troop 875 in Port Washington and event coordinator, said the scouts will drop bags on every porch in the city. Donators can just leave their full bags back on the porches; troops will start collecting again at 10 a.m. Oct. 22.

Bags should be visible from the street, according to a press release from the troops, and only donate food that is within the "best if used by date." If the troops miss your donation, it can be taken to the connected to the food pantry, 1800 N. Wisconsin St.

The collection is part of a nationwide effort by scout groups, Schaefer said. The scouts earn service hours for participating.

Last year, the effort raised 4,210 pounds of food for the Port Washington pantry — a total of 5,602 items, Schaefer said. The group doesn't have a specific goal set this year, other than to help out.

"The goal is obviously to collect as much as we can, there’s literally hundreds of families that rely on the food pantry for support," Schaefer said "There’s just a great deal of need."

Troops throughout the country participate in the event at different times throughout the year, but Schaefer said the fall participation is common as it helps shelters prepare for the coming holiday months, when shelthers tend to see increased need.