High school senior Tyler King is working hard to make Eagle Scout before graduation, combining service efforts with those in his Scout Troop 441. Joined by members of Troops 570 and 571, and Cub Pack 44, the young people have made Thanksgiving food collection a record-breaking enterprise.
Through Scouting for Food – a national neighborhood campaign in which grocery bags with printed food donation instructions are distributed on mailboxes across miles of residences – the Manchester Township Scouts collected and delivered food to St. John Parish, Lakehurst.
The Thanksgiving food drive has been going on for years, with the Scouts themselves identifying local churches or food pantries in need. The beneficiary this year was King’s parish, St. John in Lakehurst, and its St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.
Historically donations have been generous, said Mark King, Tyler’s father and assistant leader for Troop 441. But when one neighborhood response was less than expected last year, his then-10-year-old Cub Scout son, Justin, took the lack of donations to heart.
“He was so disappointed,” Mark King recalled. “So I offered that we could donate turkeys to the church, and he and I started.”
Joined by Tyler, who attends Manchester Township High School, the family approached friends and Mark King’s former coworkers and began collecting monetary donations that amounted to 70 turkeys, stored both at St. John Parish and in the King’s house.
“The store managers worked with us on price; I went to the community and contacted other local Scout groups, and they participated as well,” he explained.
This year’s campaign followed suit. Fueled by last year’s success, both Justin and Tyler participated during November in the distribution of bags and collecting of food.
“Tyler took it upon himself with his friends to go to houses in a six-mile radius,” Mark King said.
And while some of the older Scouts couldn’t help with the collection due to a previously scheduled trip, Justin and his mother, Kim, picked up 55 bags. Justin is no longer in scouting, but he wanted to keep helping his community – and brother, too.
A record 406 bags of food were collected by the youth this year, who range from first grade through high school.
“[Justin] took it to a new level, because of last year’s disappointment,” Mark King said. “He woke us up to how much we have, and how much others are in need.”