Boy Scouts in Southeast Idaho finished up their Scouting for Food drive Saturday. This year the Grand Teton Council collected 354,662 food items with the help of more than 9,700 adult leaders and youth.

    The Tendoy District of Pocatello/Chubbuck collected 44,000 food items during the drive which began Oct. 15 and ended with Saturday’s door-to-door effort.

    Blackfoot Scouts collected 26,122 items; American Falls/Aberdeen, 12,460; Inkom/Downey, 14,200; Malad, 12,000; Grace/Soda Springs, 10,000; and Shelley/Firth, 15,524.

    Scouts are asked to “knock on the door” of those homes where they left a door hanger. This gesture is to remind the people of our community, if they find no food on the doorstep, according to Elias Lopez, senior district executive for the Grand Teton Council.

    “One such young man, seeing no food on the doorstep, rang the doorbell,” Lopez said. “As the family came to the door, he noticed it was a single-parent family, with no furniture in the home and very little amenities. Without saying anything he ran back to the pickup truck, pulled a couple sacks of food from the back end and marched back up to the lady and her children waiting at the door.”

    Lopez said these experiences help Scouts understand community needs.

    “With an increase of disadvantaged and homeless people in our area this year, we definitely need some help feeding those less fortunate than ourselves,” Lopez said.