Scouting for Food Drive to Collect Donations for State College Food Bank

This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette. Local residents can help stock the State College Food Bank’s shelves Saturday, Nov. 7, by leaving a bag of nonperishable, unexpired food outside for Scouts to collect. The annual Scouting for Food drive brought in more than 25,000 pounds of food on the day of the event last year and over 27,000 pounds of food total for the food bank in 2025. The collection helps provide a wider selection of groceries for people who rely on the pantry, Executive Director Allayn Beck said in an interview with The Centre County Gazette. “It is really humbling and really amazing to see our community come together,” Beck said. She called the drive “one of the most exciting Saturdays” of the year and said Scouts help create “that magic” while making a meaningful contribution to the food bank’s work. The food bank’s client-choice pantry lets people select groceries their families will eat. Beck said the approach provides variety, reduces