Troop 167 Delivers 1,500 Food Packages To Families In Need

ARLINGTON, VA — Scout families and members of Troop 167 in Arlington delivered 1,500 packages of food to local families facing unemployment and financial instability during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the early stages of the quarantine, a small group of Scouts began collecting and distributing on a weekly basis packages of goods, including staples such as rice, flour, beans, fruits and vegetables.

Nearly 70 years ago, Troop 167 was chartered by Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, and it recently has started to focus on the patrol method and being Scout-led. The troop has made significant efforts to recruit Scouts from underserved parts of the community and help to spread the message of dedication to service.

In response to the impact that COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, has had on the Arlington community, Troop 167 chose as its service project to help as many people as possible receive a healthy supply of food during the crisis.

"In order to ensure that we provided consistently stocked and balanced food packages, we had to be able to control where our food came from," the Scouts said in a release. "Because of this, the Troop chose to purchase our food in bulk and rely on monetary donations, rather than follow the pattern of a regular food drive that collects food donations."

With a list of groceries that would provide a comprehensive and balanced diet, the Scouts began comparing prices and buying in bulk. They were able to assemble packages of food for about $25-$27 each.

Over the course of the work week, the Scouts divided up the bulk nonperishable items to their families, who divvied them up into individual portions. When the weekend rolled around, the Scouts got together to assemble the packages in under two hours.

Following safety protocols to avoid spreading the coronavirus, designated Scout parents and older Scouts then delivered the food to the families in need. Each week, the Scouts delivered 150 food packages to families in the community.

As money began to run out and the economy began to reopen, the Scouts phased out the project at the end of June.

“We are immensely proud of what we were able to accomplish: the total delivery of over 1,500 food packages," the Scout leaders said in a release. "We are even more glad to have helped our friends, family, and local community in their hour of need — upholding the values of Scouting and making good of our promised word. We are now working with our chartering organization Mt. Olivet UMC to leverage our service and experience into a continuing community outreach.”

Video by Donnie Riggs: