WEST MILFORD — Cub Scout Pack 51 is kicking off its annual food drive in November. The scouts are collecting non-perishable food for distribution to families in need in the West Milford, Oak Ridge and Jefferson area through local food pantries. With the current economy, the need is greater than ever.
Pack 51, chartered by the Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, annually collects hundreds of pounds of food for the West Milford area. Last year, Webelos scout Joey Heisler collected the most food and, along with the help of 30 of his fellow Cub Scouts, Pack 51 was able to collect a total of 1,000 pounds of food donated by their generous families and neighbors. This was enough to stock the food pantries of both the Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church on Oak Ridge Road and the Holy Faith Lutheran Church on Paradise Road across from Paradise Knoll School where most of the Cubs from the pack attend school.
The young Cubs are hoping to beat last year’s total for a new Pack record and be able to help even more local families that are in need of food this year.
Pastor Craig Lutz of the Holy Faith Lutheran Church said their food pantry has been feeding alot of families and they have been having trouble keeping it stocked. He has offered the use of their church as a drop off point for donations from the community. Citizens wishing to help may bring their donations of non-perishable food and canned goods such as soup, vegetables, fruit, pasta, cereals, peanut butter and boxed potatoes, in a brown paper shopping bag to the Holy Faith Lutheran Church, 104 Paradise Road, Oak Ridge, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, and from noon to 2 p.m. between Nov. 5 through 9, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10. If none of those dates or times work, contact Cubmaster Paul Heisler via email at Pheisler1@yahoo.com.
Pack 51 thanks the community in advance for their continued support of this important community assistance project.