Long before “service hours” became something to record, service was simply part of being a Scout.
The Scout slogan—“Do a Good Turn Daily”—has shaped generations of young people. It asks Scouts to pay attention to the needs around them and take responsibility for doing something useful.
Few Scouting traditions have put that idea into practice on a larger scale than Scouting for Food.
This November, Scouts and volunteers across Orange County will continue that tradition during the Orange County Council Day of Service on Saturday, November 7, 2026.
It Started in St. Louis
The story of Scouting for Food goes back to 1985.
As the Boy Scouts of America prepared to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the St. Louis Area Council developed a council-wide food collection project focused on helping local families.
The plan was simple. Scouts would ask neighbors to donate food, return to collect it and help deliver the donations to local organizations.
The effort worked. It also showed how quickly a local project could grow when Scouts had a clear job and a community willing to participate.
By 1988, Scouting for Food had become a national Scouting program. (BSA Scout Network)
When One Good Turn Became Millions
The first nationwide Scouting for Food collection took place in November 1988 as a National Good Turn.
Approximately one million Scouts collected an estimated 65 million cans of nonperishable food during that first national effort. From 1989 through 1991, collections added an estimated 209 million cans. (Venturing BSA)
The numbers are striking, but the project’s value was also practical and personal.
A Scout could walk a neighborhood, collect a bag of groceries and see how that small assignment fit into a much larger effort. Food went to local food banks, pantries and shelters, where it could help people in the same communities where it was collected.
Scouting America says councils continue to participate in Scouting for Food today. (BSA Scout Network)
More Than One Food Drive
Scouting for Food is one part of a longer record of Scouts responding to community needs.
Over the years, Scouts have worked on conservation projects, supported emergency preparedness, participated in civic activities and completed local service projects of all kinds.
The projects vary, but the work usually begins with the same question: What needs doing here?
That question gives Scouts different ways to contribute. Younger Scouts can take part in a hands-on project. Older Scouts can help plan and lead it. Adults can provide the support that keeps the effort organized.
For the community, the result is straightforward: people showing up to help.
Orange County Writes the Next Chapter on November 7
On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Scouting America Orange County Council will bring Scouts and volunteers together for our Day of Service, continuing the tradition of Scouting for Food and other community service projects.
For nearly four decades, Scouts across the country have taken part in Scouting for Food.
This year, Orange County Scouts will have the opportunity to do the same kind of work close to home: give their time, help their neighbors and contribute to a project larger than any one unit.
Join Orange County Scouting for our Day of Service on November 7, 2026.
