Since 2015, the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians has held a food drive in November benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank and other area food banks. At the council’s shop locations in Chattanooga, Johnson City and Knoxville, Girl Scouts were invited to bring in three or more non-perishable food items to receive a fun patch.
According to Second Harvest of East Tennessee, one in eight people in East Tennessee lives in poverty and has difficulty meeting basic needs. The most-needed food items are soups, canned vegetables and fruits, peanut butter and condiments.
This year, Girl Scouts across our council donated 5,769 pounds of food, which will help the food banks provide 4,807 meals to families across our service area. 1,453 patches were given to girls who participated. The annual food drive is just one of the many ways Girl Scouts give back to their communities. The breakdown:
- The Johnson City area collected 1,893 pounds, which will provide 1,578 meals
- The Chattanooga area collected 1,505 pounds, which will provide 1,254 meals
- The Knoxville area collected 2,371 pounds, which will provide 1,975 meals.
To learn more about Second Harvest of East Tennessee, visit www.secondharvestetn.org or call 865-521-0000.
For more information on becoming a Girl Scout, visit girlscoutcsa.org/join, call 1-800-474-1912, or email info@girlscoutcsa.org.
Brooke Conner is social media and content coordinator for Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians.