Plenty of shoppers going into Wittenberg Sentry bought plenty of food April 18, but a lot of it didn’t go home with them.
Instead, many of the shoppers gave some of the food they purchased to Wittenberg Cub Scouts Pack 445, and that food immediately went into the tent with the intention of donating it to the Wittenberg Food Pantry to help those in need.
By the early afternoon, the Scouts had already collected more than 500 pounds of food, with three hours left in the drive. The goal for the entire day was 600 pounds, and Scoutmaster Wes Hartis said he was confident the Scouts would surpass that and estimated the total amount of food collected would reach 700 pounds or higher.
“Six hundred is what we collected last year,” Hartis said.
The food drive is something that Scouting for America has done for many years, but many troops and packs have previously asked the community to put their food in bags out by their mailboxes, and the Scouts would come by and collect the bags.
Pack 445 has simplified the idea, according to Hartis, camping out in front of Sentry and collecting from people directly and putting it inside a tent, a common part of Scouting. Hartis said the pack used a four-person tent in its first year in 2025 and easily filled it, so they graduated to a tent that can fit 10 people.
“This is our second year here at the storefront,” Hartis said. “Before that, we were always going door to door like the other troops were. We’re definitely doing a lot better collecting here at the store. People are coming to the store, and they’re already here, so they buy cans of soup or something and bring it right to us.”
The food drive does more than provide sustenance for everyone in the community, Hartis said. It also teaches his Scouts at an early age the importance of community service.
“We also help out around the community and try to teach them that it’s good to give back to the community, because one day, they might need some help,” Hartis said. “Last weekend, we went around Wittenberg and picked up branches off of people’s lawns. The food pantry was our first stop. It’s something that the smaller kids can do to give back.”
Hartis said Pack 445 is looking for other projects for community service. Anyone with ideas can contact him at 715-881-0130.
Isaac Selle, 8, with Cub Scouts Pack 445, stands on a scale to determine the weight of the food he’s holding. His actual weight is deducted from the total. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
It was a steady stream of people donating the afternoon of April 18 for the Cub Scouts Pack 445 food drive, which benefits the Wittenberg Food Pantry. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
