Scouting For Food Returns this Saturday to Dubuque and Eastern Iowa

If you’ve ever wanted a way to give back to your community and see our area scouts in action, Scouting for Food is the perfect opportunity on Saturday, March 21st. I recently sat down with Melissa Neuhaus, Associate Director of Marketing and Development for Scouting America’s Northeast Iowa Council, to talk about this annual initiative, and it's clear to see just how impactful it is for both the community and the scouts themselves.

Scouting for Food is a one-day event where scouts collect non-perishable food and household items for local food pantries and food banks. The goal is to teach young Scouts the value of teamwork, responsibility, and empathy, while also providing tangible support to families in need. Melissa told me, “For our scouts, we want to show that helping your community can be easy and impactful. And for our community, the goal is to provide food and essential items, so families don’t have to struggle.”

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Over the years, the program has adapted to changes like COVID, moving from traditional door-to-door collections to drive-through donations, and now gradually returning to the original model. Despite these shifts, the results remain impressive. In 2024, local scouts collected over 26,000 pounds of food, providing more than 10,000 meals for families. The program supports 12 cities and 10 food pantries in the area, keeping donations local. By the way, hundreds of scouts from 33 packs, troops, and crews participate each year. This gives them a hands-on way to see the difference their service makes.

Check Out the Full Interview Below with Melissa Neuhaus:

The most needed items include canned proteins such as tuna and chicken, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, pasta, rice, cereal, soups, shelf-stable milk, and cooking essentials like oils and spices.

For the March 21st door-to-door collection and drop-off sites (items collected from 9 AM to 12 PM):

• Bellevue, IA: 405 Neu St
• Dubuque, IA: Asbury & Locust St Hy-Vee Food Stores
• Dubuque, IA: W32nd St and Delhi Fire Stations
• Epworth, IA: Silker’s Grocery
• Elkader, IA: Wilke’s Marketplace
• Dyersville, IA: Fareway and Hy-Vee
• Manchester, IA: Dollar Fresh & Fareway
• Peosta, IA: Fareway

Other Scouting for Food drives include:

• Edgewood, IA: March 22–28, drop off items at Karl’s Grocery Store
• Waukon, IA: April 14, door-to-door collection or drop off at Epic Wear
• East Dubuque, IL: April 18, door-to-door collection or drop off at East Dubuque Food Pantry
• Guttenberg, IA: April 25, drop off at Bender’s Food

Melissa shared one of the most rewarding parts of the program, is watching her very own scouts realize, “We can actually support our neighbors, and it is fairly easy.” Families interested in scouting can also check out the Get Grit Kit at scoutsiowa.org. The kit gives a fun sampling of Scouting activities before you decide to commit.

Whether you donate food, volunteer, or simply spread the word, Scouting for Food is a chance to make a real difference for your neighbors and our youth: one bag, one scout, and one meal at a time.