Western Pennsylvania's more than 8,000 Boy Scouts currently are collecting food through the Scouting for Food program.
This year's program is being aided with an unprecedented boost of $125,000 from the UPMC Health Plan.
The money -- which will aid collection efforts and help inform people about the more than 120,000 local people who rely on donated items -- was given this week to The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the food drive's beneficiary. It was part of a larger contribution by UPMC Health Plan of $250,000 to the food bank.
"It's our most basic need in health care, to have food, and we're fortunate in our community to have help providing food," said Diane Holder, president of UPMC Health Plan.
This year, area Boy Scouts hope to raise more than $3 million worth of food, beating last year's record $2.7 million. That would contribute a sizeable amount to the food bank's $17 million in annual donations.
Scouts will go from door to door collecting packaged food donations throughout April. In the last two weeks of the month, they will be at 56 Western Pennsylvania Giant Eagle stores collecting additional items. Since beginning the food drive in 1987, more than 71 million food items have been collected.
"When a Scout knocks on your door asking for food, or your workplace holds a food drive, please step up and give," said Alf Tuggle, Scout executive of the Greater Pittsburgh Council. "Together we can make a difference in the lives of hungry people in our community, many of them children."
Because many corporate workplaces are unable to host a food drive, the Greater Pittsburgh Boy Scouts Council is launching its first "virtual food drive." Employees can "shop" for food items on the Internet. No food will be brought to workplaces. To learn more, contact the food bank at 412-460-3663, ext. 282.
