OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Cub Scout Pack 365 in Dundee organized a successful food drive Sunday, collecting donations from dozens of community members at 50th and Underwood.
- "And it's just so nice seeing that everybody really wants to come here and help Omaha get more food for the ones in need," said one scout member.
- The scouts' effort caught the attention of Mayor John Ewing, who stopped by to show his support and provide an update on Omaha's broader response to the crisis.
- For a list of donation drop-off sites in Omaha, visit here.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
As the government shutdown continues into November, leaving many families uncertain about their SNAP benefits, Omaha neighbors are stepping up to help those in need. Cub Scout Pack 365 in Dundee organized a successful food drive Sunday, collecting donations from dozens of community members at 50th and Underwood.
The initiative began when scout member Clover McLaughlin was riding in the car with her mom last week and heard that some families wouldn't be able to use their SNAP benefits at grocery stores.
After Pack 365 planned the food drive, McLaughlin and her fellow scouts canvassed the neighborhood and local businesses, passing out flyers to encourage people to participate.
Their hard work paid off Sunday as car after car pulled up with donations. The scouts had to upgrade to a U-Haul truck to transport all the collected food to Food Bank for the Heartland.
"It made me really, really happy. It was a good turnout," McLaughlin said.
"And it's just so nice seeing that everybody really wants to come here and help Omaha get more food for the ones in need," said Mills Capurro, another scout member.
"We've had probably at least like 40 cars that have come in, many with lots and lots of bags and boxes, so it's been pretty impressive how much the community has come out," said Eric Cutler, Pack 365's scout master.
The scouts' effort caught the attention of Mayor John Ewing, who stopped by to show his support and provide an update on Omaha's broader response to the crisis. The city has established 13 food drop-off sites, partnered with 16 Goodwill locations, and added five Chi Health sites to the network.
"I want us to have a vision of one Omaha and this is what one Omaha looks like when we come together to address the need in our community and recognize that we are all in this together," Ewing said.
Beyond the city's committed funds, Chi Health is donating $100,000 to Food Bank for the Heartland and the food bank in Lincoln.
For McLaughlin, the drive represents more than just collecting cans.
"The people that need food and need help, and I just want to help them, and this is a big thing to me," McLaughlin said.
The city of Omaha will share its total contributions from the week-long fundraising drive this Friday. For a list of donation drop-off sites in Omaha, visit here.
