A group of Scouts from the Lincoln Heritage Council is making a big difference in their community this week for the Scouting for Food, Youth for Food Community service project.

Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Venturing, and other volunteer groups are collecting nonperishable food items from neighborhoods in Kentucky. The project will benefit both the Dare to Care Food Bank and Eastern Area Community Ministries.

Clint Scharff of the Lincoln Heritage Council referenced the Tufts University study on the character of Scouts when interviewed by WHAS11. “One of the things they [researchers] learned is that kindness, cheerfulness, thankfulness and helpfulness are all greatly improved among boys who participate in Scouting and things like this help accomplish that,” Scharff said.

The project, which has already collected thousands of food items, is actually intended to teach youth the value of serving their communities, according to Scharff.

Scharff said the Scouting for Food project yielded almost 35 tons of food last year, and participants hope to collect even more this year.