Clifton Park scouts head out to collect food for pantry - The Saratogian

Clifton Park scouts head out to collect food for pantry - The Saratogian

CLIFTON PARK >> Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs from Corpus Christi Church and Jonesville Methodist Church will be out early Saturday morning for the first of a two-part effort to aid the Helping Hands Food Pantry.

On Saturday, members of Boy Scout troop 42 and troop 6 will partner with their younger brethren, Cub Scout packs 44 and 42, for the start of their Scouting For Food program. They will be putting empty bags on front-door handles at 4,000 to 5,000 homes.

One week later on Nov. 12, they will return to those same homes bright and early to pick up those bags, now hopefully filled with plenty of non-perishable food items that will help give others a pleasant holiday meal.

It’s a program that has been going on so long no one remembers when it started.

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“I’ve been volunteering here 32 years,” food pantry assistant director Marion Lundgren said. “It wasn’t here when I started, but it’s been going on a long time I know that.”

Gary Barrow, the committee chairman of Boy Scout Troop 42, said the scouts will cover a wide area that includes parts of Round Lake, Ballston Lake, southern Malta, Jonesville and the Ushers Road subdivisions.

“It’s an area that’s within the Shen School District,” Barrow said. “It’s basically the Exit 10 and 11 areas and west of the Northway.”

Barrow understands the Nov. 5 bag drop off is generally not a problem. People wake up on a Saturday morning and find a plastic bag on their door with an information sheet. It’s the pickup that can cause problems.

“We know we’re out there pretty early for some of the pick-ups on Nov. 12,” he said. “If people can put out whatever they feel like donating on their porch or near their mailbox by 9 a.m. we’ll get it.”

In case a homeowner misses the pick-up and still wants to donate, the drop-off site is the Jonesville Methodist Church, 963 Main Street, the home of the Shenendehowa Helping Hands Food Pantry.

“Right now we need holiday food items,” Lundgren said, “instant potatoes, gravy, stuffing, baking supplies, pie crusts, condiments, canned sweet potatoes, cranberry sauces, cake mixes, canned pumpkin or any type of pie fillings, things like that. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and behind that is Christmas.”

Lundgren, who is one of five assistant directors at the food pantry, said it helps about 250 families each month.

“We serve over 600 individuals a month; some are singles others have kids,” she said. “We’re one of the largest food pantries in Saratoga County.”

For the holiday meal’s main course, the food pantry distributes gift certificates that are either donated or purchased. With those in hand, families can get turkey, ham, or whatever they prefer for their holiday dinner.

Other items always accepted for donation at the food pantry are rice, pasta, canned tomatoes or tomato products, over-the-counter medicines, and toiletries like tooth paste.

“This event helps to replenish our pantry and it helps us with our holiday food requests,” Lundgren said.

Barrow said it helps the scouts too.

“It’s rewarding service project for the scouts and the adults both,” he said. “I’m not sure how well we’ll do, but anything we can do we know is appreciated.”