Annual food drive moved to November

The annual Cub Scout Food Drive will be held one month early this year.
Organizers announced that the annual food drive organized by Pack 466 will be held Nov. 7 and 8. The change in dates is a direct result of the on-going coronavirus pandemic.
For decades, local scouts have organized a food drive to benefit the Coal City Food Pantry’s holiday assistance program for families and individuals in need. This is year is no different, it’s just a bit earlier.
Due to guidelines the food pantry must follow including social distancing and capacity limits, the drive is being pushed up several weeks in order to allow volunteers the time needed to sort through the community donations.
As in the past, the Scouts are calling on area residents to support the effort by picking up a few extra items when they head out to the grocery store in the next week. All items donated must have current expiration dates.
Scouts will distribute donation bags through the villages of Coal City, Carbon Hill and Diamond on Saturday, Nov. 7. Residents are asked to fill those bags with non-perishable food items and household supplies and place them outside their front doors by noon on Sunday, Nov. 8. Volunteers will then go door-to-door to collect and deliver items to the food pantry for later distribution.