GLENDALE : Boy Scouts Begin Holiday Food Drive

In anticipation of the winter holidays, the Boy Scouts of America has launched its annual canned-goods drive to collect food for the area’s homeless and needy, including victims of the Northridge earthquake.

The seventh annual campaign kicked off last weekend, when West Valley Scouts hung tags on the doors of 30,000 area homes requesting donations. This Saturday, the youths will return to collect what they hope will be at least 40,000 cans of food.

Boy Scout troop councils throughout Southern California will repeat the process in their neighborhoods over the next two weekends.

“This is a great program for everybody,” said Western Los Angeles County Scout spokesman Del Hanks. “It helps those in need and teaches the kids to be sensitive to the needs of others.

“It’s a massive campaign.”

Last year, more than 1 million pounds of canned goods were gathered by the Boy Scouts in the greater Los Angeles area alone, Hanks said.

In the Valley, participating councils include the Verdugo Hills Council in Glendale and the Western Los Angeles County Council in Van Nuys. The councils consist of about 6,000 and 11,800 members, respectively, and plan to collect food items from designated neighborhoods in both the East and West Valley.

Major portions of the Valley not covered this time will be addressed in an identical program scheduled for February.

Once collected, the food will be delivered to local distribution centers, where volunteers will sort the goods.

For more information on how to contribute to the food campaign or for participating distribution centers in the Valley, call (818) 785-8700.