Chelsea Girls Scouts participated in Scouting for Food, a food drive at Polly’s Saturday to restock the Faith in Action pantry shelves.
“The scouting movement, boy, girl and venture scouts, all take part in scouting for food collections on four Saturdays a year,” said Nancy Paul, director of Faith in Action, a community-supported, faith-based assistance and resource center for families and individuals who need a helping hand.
Faith in Action serves both the Chelsea and Dexter school districts and has two locations, one in Dexter and one at 603 S. Main St. in Chelsea.
“This one (food drive) is a key one for the holidays,” Paul said, adding that the scouts organize the event, sort the donations and drop them off at the Faith in Action building.
“They let me know the days and I set it up with Pollys,” she said, adding, “We really think the scouts are fantastic ambassadors for the community.”
Amanda Wright, 14, Rosie Knafl, 14, and Anjili Veach, 16, members of Troop 274, served as leaders for their younger counterparts during the Nov. 3 food drive.
Wright said she’s helped to run three food drives at Polly’s and has worked at five of them.
“It’s fun,” she said. “The girls are learning to give back to the community, talk to people, sort things and see the inside of a food bank.”
For the scouts, the Faith in Action food drive is one of a number of community events in which they participate.
Wright said they will be a part of Hometown Holiday; they sell cookies, nuts and magazines and even helped parked cars during the Chelsea Community Fair.
“We’re helping with the Christmas bazaar at Hometown Holiday, making crafts and helping kids shop,” Wright said.
Knafl said Girl Scouts has been a great experience for her. “When I was young, I was afraid to talk to people and through scouts, you meet all kinds of new people.”
Veach said she just joined Girl Scouts this year to do volunteer work. “It’s cool to see all the girls and in Chelsea, the scouts are younger so it’s great to help them figure things out, find out who they are, and I hope they stay in scouts.”
She said she’d been a Brownie when she was younger, but didn’t stay involved and wished that she had. “In scouts, you don’t have the drama you do at school … you’re here because you’re a scout.”
Paul said at Saturday’s food drive she spoke to a volunteer who has received Faith in Action’s help in the past.
“We have many receivers who have been donors in the past, it happens all the time,” she said.
If you missed the food drive Saturday, you can drop off donation to Faith in Action in person.
Currently, the pantry is in need of canned chili, cranberry sauce, baked beans, Ramen noodles, meal helpers, pumpkin, yams, juice, canned fruit, baking and pancake mix, cooking oil, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce, pasta dish dishes, razors, shaving supplies and Kleenex.
And, with the holidays approaching, Paul said they could also use turkeys and hams.
The Chelsea Faith in Action building is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 475-3305.
Way to go girls! Great job helping your community!