Watertown Cub Scouts Collect Items for Food Pantry

Cub Scouts from Pack 30 collected more more than 500 lbs. of canned and non-perishable food on May 14 in an effort to help the Watertown Food Pantry.

Most years, the Cub Scouts go door to door to collect food, but this year the Pack got permission from on Pleasant Street to ask for donation at their store, said Scout Master John VanRyn.

The scouts spent most of the day at the supermarket, starting at 8 a.m. ending at 4 p.m., working in two-hour shifts. They worked with the Watertown Food Pantry to collect items needed by the pantry this time of year, including tuna, beans, powdered milk and toothbrushes.

"One customer of Shop & Stop was so moved by the boys' request that she and her husband decided to not dine out that night and instead took the money and filled a half of a grocery cart for the cause," VanRyn said in a letter about the food drive.

The Watertown Food Pantry operates out of and Serves over 200 families in Watertown.

The food drive is one of the Pack's effort sot give back to the community, VanRyn said. Other efforts include the Charles River Cleanup.

"We would like to extend special thanks to Stop & Shop of Pleasant Street and the Watertown Food Pantry for making this event possible," VanRyn said.

Pack 30 in Watertown was established in 2004 to provide an outdoor opportunity to boys and their families in the community. With a Pack of 40 boys ranging from first through fifth grades, the Pack reaches out to the community with food drives, environmental clean-up and citizenship efforts.

The goals of the Pack is to build better boys and families through community and outdoorsmanship, and to prepare the boys for a successful transition into Boy Scouts, VanRyn said. For information about joining the Scouts, visit beascout.org or contact us at cubmaster@pack30.com. To find out what Pack 30 is doing, visit http://pack30.com.