Boy Scouts Raise Money, Collect Food Items For Lighthouse Mission

ST. CROIX — As the spirit of giving continues to fill the hearts of residents territory-wide — a local group called Fixxers held events across the islands and in Houston, Texas on Saturday — St. Croix Boy Scouts, Pack 7227 out of the Good Hope Country Day School, held its annual event dubbed “Scouting for Food”, and donated all the proceedings to the Lighthouse Mission, located in Christiansted.

Pack 7227 consists of Cub Scouts 1st-5th grade and Boy Scouts grades 6-12, according to Merlisa George, Cub Scouts committee chair.

Ms. George said this year the Boy Scouts were stationed at Cost U Less and Cub Scouts at Plaza Extra West. Combined, the groups collected over 2,000lbs of food and needed supplies as well as $767.08 in donations.

According to Ms. George, speaking with The Consortium via telephone, the Boy Scouts adopted Lighthouse Mission several years ago as the nonprofit that it would help sustain through efforts like Scouting for Food. Lighthouse Mission is a faith-based community center dedicated to “shine the light of Jesus into Christiansted through programs of education and compassion,” according to a blurb on the nonprofit’s website. The organization aids the homeless and others in need, at times providing food, shelter and other essentials.

Ms. George, who was stationed at Plaza Extra West with the Cub Scouts, said yesterday’s efforts turned out to be “amazing.” She said all slips consisting items that Lighthouse needed were willingly accepted by the grocery store’s customers — some providing more than what was recommended. Unlisted items included Clorox, Fabuluso and paper goods. “Those things were successfully collected as well,” she said.

The event lasted about 5 hours, and “the day felt easy,” according to Mrs. George, who noted that the boys enjoyed themselves.

Even so, Mrs. George said her account of the event only covered the Plaza Extra West location, and added that the Boy Scouts did multiple times better in collecting items at Cost-U-Less — a testament to the day’s accomplishment. She also encouraged the community to continue its benevolent giving not only during the Thanksgiving season, but year-round, and made known that Boy Scouts has planned a similar event for April, 2016.

Around 50 boys and parent volunteers participated, Ms. George made known. Scoutmaster William Tobias and Cub Master Alex Leon will award all participants with a Scouting for Food patch in the presence of their parents and peers, she concluded.

Feature Image: A collage of the goods collected by the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Pack 7227, at the Plaza Extra West and Cost-U-Less locations.4

Image Credit: Boy Scouts, Lighthouse Mission Facebook page.