Scouting for Food charity drive at Polly’s Saturday benefits Faith in Action

Elijan Dobos, Marty Hubbard, Liam Hartsuft and Kirby Hubbard spent their Saturday morning, Aug. 4, at Polly’s grocery store ‘scouting for food’.

They weren’t looking for their own food, rather handing out information to customers and collecting food for Faith in Action‘s food bank.

“Most people take the information,” Dobos said, “but, yeah, there are some people who blow past us.”

Dobos, a member of troop 413 and a freshman at Chelsea High School, said this was the second time he’d volunteered for the food drive.

The scouts earn service hours for their two-hour shifts.

In the first hour, more than 150 items had been donated by shoppers that ranged from canned goods to laundry soap, flour, sugar and pasta.

“Faith in Action is a community-supported, faith-based assistance and resource center for families and individuals that need a helping hand,” in both Chelsea and Dexter school districts, according to the information about the organization.

The organization needs 2-3 tons of food monthly to meet local needs and donors can keep the grocery receipt and the flyer for their tax records.

“It’s nice when customers are friendly and smiling and easy-going,” Hubbard said, adding that “It’s a good feeling to know that you’re helping people and spending part of your summer to do it.”

The scouts said the food drive was a good way to “do something that makes other people’s lives better.”

“Service is part of scouting,” said Deb Hubbard, who was there with her son, Marty.

Two scouts and their parents stationed themselves inside the entrance of the store to hand out flyers, and two scouts and their parents collected the donations, organized and logged items on sheets as shoppers dropped off their donations.

“We try to keep things organized so it’s easier when everything is unloaded at Faith in Action,” said Paul Dobos, assistant scout master for Troop 413.

Some of the scouts liked being on the front end of the drive handing out flyers. while others liked being on the back end collecting the donated items.

“Faith in Action is a great cause,” Paul Dobos said.

Scouts from troops 425, 413 and 476 were collecting food Saturday. And although the scouts who were working together weren’t from the same troop, they knew each other from school.

If you missed the Saturday food drive, Faith in Action is located at 603 S. Main St. and the pantry is in need of juice, canned fruit, cooking oil, salad dressing, soup, chili and baked beans, spaghetti sauce, muffin mix, sugar, flour, pancake syrup, boxed potatoes and stuffing, meal helpers, feminine hygiene supplies,  laundry and dish soap, razors, shaving supplies, Kleenex, and deodorant.