Scouting for Food, Edwardsville Lions’ Christmas tree lot teaming up due to COVID-19

Two rites of fall generally happen each November in Edwardsville: The blue Scouting for Food bags tied to doorknobs around the metro-east, and the Edwardsville Lions’ Christmas tree lot set up along Troy Road after Thanksgiving.

This year, they’re coming together.

The annual Scouting for Food collection bringing canned goods from doorsteps to local food pantries was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, though the Greater St. Louis Council of Boy Scouts of America encouraged residents to take their donations to local food pantries and contribute to local food drives.

Meanwhile, Edwardsville Boy Scout Troop 1031 has volunteered for at least the last five years at the Edwardsville Lions’ Christmas tree lot, helping the Lions to sell trees and tie them on customers’ cars. Now it will also be a collection site for Scouting for Food.

“The Scouting for Food door to door drive was canceled, but troops are allowed to work on other ways of collecting food,” said 1031 Scoutmaster Jeff Pauk. “This is our way of continuing the drive.”

Neil Vollmar is a long-time supporter of Troop 1031 and treasurer of the Edwardsville Lions.

“We know it’s going to be a blow to the food pantries, as (Scouting for Food is) something they count on each year,” Vollmar said. “It’s a serious source of canned goods and food for the food pantries.”

The Scouts and the Lions are encouraging people to bring the bag of food they would ordinarily have left out for Scouting for Food to the Lions’ tree lot, which is in its customary position along Troy Road in front of Kohl’s department store and the former Shop n’ Save, north of Governor’s Parkway.

“Whatever they would ordinarily put on the doorstep, we are more than happy for them to drop off at our site,” Vollmar said. “People don’t have to buy a tree, they can just drop off the food donations if they want.”

The Lions’ tree sale is a long-time fundraiser for various local projects. This year the money will be going to “Leader Dog,” a program to help fund vision assistance dogs for those who may need hearing and vision assistance, Vollmar said.

The Scouts earn a portion of the funds for their work, which goes toward their costs on high-adventure trips.

And this year, the Scouts will be asked to do more of the labor than usual.

“This year we’ve really asked the Scouts to step up,” Vollmar said, as many of the Lions adults are in a higher-risk category for COVID-19.

Scouts and volunteers will maintain social distancing while families are shopping, then step in to help once the tree is selected.

Vollmar said the Lions chose to order fewer trees than in previous years due to “the crazy nature of the year.” But even though the supplier raised the cost of the trees, they have held their prices to last year’s rates.

“We know it’s been a tough year for everybody,” he said.

Lot hours, food collection

The Lions’ lot runs 5-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday beginning the day after Thanksgiving until they run out of trees — which could be as soon as two weeks this year, so Vollmar encourages early shopping. The Lions are cash and carry or accept personal checks, but no credit cards.

As to the food collection, as is usual with food pantries, they’re seeking nonperishable, shelf-stable food such as canned goods, pastas, soups, etc. No refrigeration will be available. The food will be delivered to the Glen-Ed Food Pantry, which is also collecting monetary, food, housewares and toys at its location on Fifth Avenue.