Las Vegas is gearing up for the 37th annual Scouting For Food Drive, a community effort that has established itself as the "largest single-day food drive in Nevada". Organized by The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada, Smith's Food & Drug, and the Boy Scouts of America, the initiative is scheduled to take place on Saturday. Collections will occur at various Smith's Food & Drug locations throughout the area, aimed at supporting local food banks and the pantries of families in their time of need. "Scouting's partnership with Smith's and The Salvation Army to help feed the hungry is one of the ways the strong spirit of Southern Nevada shines through to make this a great community in which to live,” Larry Okin, chairman of Scouting for Food, told News3LV.
According to information obtained by KTNV, the drive consistently manages to bring together enough nonperishable items to feed tens of thousands of people. The Salvation Army's main Las Vegas pantry, which already aids over 2,000 individuals and families at risk of homelessness each month, is set to receive six to seven months' worth of food supplies. Adding to further reach, the drive will also extend to collect items in Pahrump store locations, ensuring that smaller food banks in outlying communities are to receive aid via deliveries.
New additions to this year's food drive include a partnership with the Las Vegas Rotary Club, which is encouraging Scouting families to bring old batteries for recycling. Accepted items for the recycling initiative are rechargeable tools, loose lithium-ion or nickel metal hydride batteries, electric toothbrushes, wireless headphones, Bluetooth speakers, smartwatches, tablets, and cell phones. These items can be turned in through Scout units or during the last round of food pickups.
This collaborative effort between local organizations is not only replenishing food banks but is also taking steps to address environmental concerns through recycling initiatives. "We are grateful for the amount of food and support the Boy Scouts of America is able to provide year after year,” Major Maggie and Harold Laubach, Clark County Coordinators for The Salvation Army, told News3LV. "It really is a wonderful sight to see these young people work so hard to help our community in need."
