C.O. Scouts to hold ‘Community Action’ Day’
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Saturday is Scout Community Action Day! Central Oregon Scouts BSA troops are teaming up with local agencies and their local communities to help meet immediate needs in these challenging times.
Local relief agencies are experiencing overwhelming demand for food and supplies and our local Scout Troops are asking the public for help. Each agency has submitted a list of their needs to the Scouts, and on Community Action Day, the Scouts will set up drop sites around their communities where the public can safely donate.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 4.
Many local agencies are overwhelmed with the demand for food and supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shutdown of local businesses due to Oregon Governor Brown’s stay-at-home executive order.
In order to meet those needs, local Scout Troops in Bend, La Pine and Prineville who are part of the Fremont District, Crater Lake Council, B.S.A., are teaming up to establish a Scout Community Action Day on Saturday, April 4, to rally the community and meet the needs of these agencies at this time of great need.
In Bend, six local agencies have given the Scouts a list of their most needed items. The Scouts are communicating these needs to the public and on April 4 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. will establish drop sites in their communities where the public can come and safely make a donation. The Scouts will then deliver the donations to the agencies based upon their needs.
All donation sites will be set up to CDC and Oregon Health Authority guidelines to ensure the safety of the public and the Scouts. Drop sites will be run by scouting family groups who will model 6-foot social distancing during the project.
The Scout Oath, which has guided the Boy Scouts of America for more than 100 years, says Scouts are to “help other people at all times.” This is our mandate and we must work to overcome obstacles to accomplish this goal.
To make sure we are in compliance with all CDC guidelines and rules established by Gov. Kate Brown’s Executive Order 20-12, Crater Lake Council, B.S.A. submitted this project to the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Labor for review. This project was deemed a “necessary event” by both agencies and does not violate Executive Order 20-12.
“The need in our communities is great and Scouts B.S.A. is a ready organization to help meet that need,” said Brian Seed, Troop 21 Scoutmaster and Fremont District vice-chair. “Many of the steps we take all the time to ensure safety can be adapted to the current rules to make sure we can not only provide much needed help to our local communities but provide that help in a manner that safeguards our members and the general public.”
“Looking at the critical needs list from these agencies, you will definitely see items that are in short supply” Seed continued. “However, we know these items are out there somewhere and we are relying on the kindness and generosity of Central Oregonians to help in this time of great need by donating some of their stock.”
Scouts plan on establishing 4 drop sites in Bend, two of which are secured at the time of this release. The first is at Bend Food 4 Less on N. Highway 97, the second is at Safeway in the Forum shopping center near Hola and Baldy’s on Hwy. 20 East and 27th Street. Drop sites on the west and south sides of Bend are pending.
Scouts in LaPine will be collecting donations at the LaPine Community Kitchen, 16480 Finley Butte Road in LaPine. Donations are urgently needed after the kitchen was damaged in a fire on March 26.
Information on a Prineville drop site and agency is pending.
A full list of participating Bend agencies and their critical needs list follows:
Grandma's House of Central Oregon:
canned fruit; canned soup; any meals that can be made quickly; rice.
The Giving Plate:
Food for Kids: snack bars (any type); fruit snacks; fruit squeeze packs; juice; crackers or chips; oatmeal; individual popcorn; pudding.
Neighbor Impact:
personal hygiene items (small sizes, like found in hotels); reusable grocery bags (to help with food delivery); canned meat/fish; canned soups/stews; grains - rice, pasta, oats; canned fruits/vegetables; pasta sauce; peanut butter (specific - no other nut butters).
Family Kitchen:
peanut butter (any size); #10 cans of just about anything (fruit, vegetables, beans, chili); large cans of tuna; large cans of broth; bleach; plastic forks/spoons; small packages of personal wipes; warm gloves.
Bethlehem Inn:
toilet paper; 33-gallon garbage bags; HE laundry soap (no pods); hand sanitizer; sleeping bags (new or clean used).
St. Vincent de Paul:
pasta; canned fruit/vegetables; canned meat (tuna, chicken, etc.); toilet paper; soup; cereal; anything non-perishable and not past "best by" date.
We have established the web site COScoutsCare.org for the public to seek more information. This web site is currently being developed and will list all drop site locations and information, as well as the agency lists above.
