Each year Scouting for Food mobilizes community businesses and organizations and focuses the resources of more than 300,000 people to collect food for 120,000 hungry people throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

Last month the Greater Pittsburgh Council, Boy Scouts of America, in partnership with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, conducted its 20th annual Scouting for Food program.

Since 1987, more than 67 million units of food have been collected and distributed to community food banks.

For years, Monongahela Valley Hospital has participated in the Scouting for Food campaign. And again, the 2008 campaign was a successful effort thanks to the generosity of hospital family members who play a vital role in providing food to help meet the demand.

This year 11,432 units of food and related items were collected from MVH to assist those in need in the mid-Monongahela Valley. The food collected remains in the mid-Monongahela Valley specifically for the residents of this area.

MVH Scouting for Food supplies are prepared for delivery – Joey Schickel (left front), Jonathan Baker (right front), Committee Member Joseph Schickel (left back) and Dan Bednarczyk (right back) get ready to load the Monongahela Valley Hospital donations onto trucks for delivery to local area food banks. Mr. Schickel and the scouts all are members of Troop 1561 in Belle Vernon.