Boy Scout Troop 513 Makes a Difference for the Food Pantry

Stoneham, MA (April 15, 2011)  The Boy Scouts of Troop 513 in Stoneham recently held several successful food drives to stock the shelves at the Stoneham/Board of Health Food Pantry.  On March 12, the boys held a food drive at Stop & Shop in Stoneham collecting 42 tubs of food and $320.  On March 26, they held another drive at Market Basket in Reading where they collected 38 tubs of food and another $50. This week the boys left requests for donations of the pantry’s most needed items in their neighborhoods and gathered these contributions as well.

“We are so very grateful to the boys of Troop 513 for their hard work and commitment to the food pantry,” said Lynn Haddad, one of the managers of the food pantry.  “With the use of the food pantry increasing 22% over last year, the food and monetary donations go a long way to helping those families and individuals in need.”

 Tom Crowe, the Scoutmaster of Troop 513, believes that the boys gain a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment whenever they are able to help out others. “The results were eye-opening for them and they were excited to receive many expressions of gratitude from people in the community for what they were doing,” he commented.

Currently, the most needed items for the food include: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, jam and jelly (including sugar free), salt and black pepper, sugar (1 or 2lb boxes), vegetable oil (24oz), coffee (drip and instant), tea bags, bottled juice, cookies, crackers, pancake mix and syrup, pudding mix, canned spinach, beets and mixed vegetables, jarred pasta sauce, canned peaches and pears, tomato paste, stewed and crushed tomatoes, beef stews and soups, chowders, Italian wedding soup, chili, cannellini beans, paper towels, laundry detergent, and dish washing liquid.

Donations of non-perishable food items and other household items such as laundry detergent, bleach and baby diapers as well as monetary contributions to purchase the most needed supplies are always welcome at the Stoneham/ Board of Health Food Pantry.  If donating non-perishable items, please call the Church office (781-438-0097) to alert the staff that the food or goods will be coming.  If making a financial donation, please make checks payable to First Congregational Church in Stoneham with a reference to the food pantry.