The Southwest Voice

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The annual “Scouting for Food” Good Turn Drive is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Feb. 3

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This joint effort between the Southern Sierra Council, Boy Scouts of America, Kern County Sheriff’s Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue Team, Kern County/Bakersfield City Fire Departments, Golden Empire Gleaners, and the Kern County Food Bank is an ongoing, yearly event.

On Saturday, Jan. 27, more than 2,500 Scouts from local Cub Scout Packs, Scout Troops, Varsity Teams, Venture Crews and Career Explorer Posts throughout Bakersfield and other outlying communities in Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties will canvass neighborhoods, leaving door hangers asking for the donation and collecting them on Feb. 3.

Residents are asked to fill bags with non-perishable food and leave them on their doorstep for Scouts to pickup. 

The donated items will be taken to local fire stations, and then transported to the Kern County Food Bank facility, 1825 Felize Drive in Bakersfield, by the Kern County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team members. 

Food will be weighed and distributed between the Kern County Food Bank and the Golden Empire Gleaners for distribution to hungry families throughout the Bakersfield area. 

Scout units in outlying communities will take their food to designated locations, usually a local food bank or church, where it will be distributed locally in their area.

According to Gary Romriell, program director for the Kern County Food Bank, there is an extreme need to feed the hungry within Kern County.  Due to the high unemployment rate (13 to 15 percent) within the Bakersfield Metro area alone, his agency has experienced more than a 50 percent increase of needy people requesting food over the past two years. Children make up 65 percent (300,000) of clients assisted by the food bank. Since its inception 17 years ago, the Scouting for Food Good Turn Drive has collected more than 400,000 pounds of food for hungry families, an average of 40,000 pounds a year.

Any homeowner who does not receive a door hanger from local Scouts is encouraged to participate by using their own grocery bags and taking food to any local fire station within Kern County. Regardless of whether they receive a bag or not, Scouts urge the public to help them feed the hungry in their communities during this post holiday season by participating in this worthwhile effort.

Partnering with the Southern Sierra Council food drive this year is the Bakersfield Jam. Bakersfield newest sports team that helps develop future NBA Basketball players locally here.  

On Jan. 27, the residents of Kern County are urged to come to the game between the Bakersfield Jam and the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. If you bring a bag of canned good of three or more cans, you will receive a $3 discount voucher off your ticket purchase for that evening's game.

Come support the Partnership Food Bank, Scouting for Food and the Bakersfield Jam on Jan. 27!