Sanborn Boy Scout Troop 824 to collect donations for Community Missions

This Saturday, local Boy Scout Troop 824, based in Sanborn, will team up with the Tops Friendly Market on Military Road in the Town of Niagara for "Good Turn for America." The troop has chosen Community Missions to receive the donations collected.

"Good Turn for America," an annual event collecting food and other donations for local food pantries, encourages Boy Scouts to focus attention on issues of hunger, homelessness and poor health within their community. The event will entail the scouts standing outside of the Town of Niagara Tops store, telling shoppers about the program, and asking them to participate by making a donation of either money or goods purchased in the store as they leave.

"We are excited that Troop 824 has selected Community Missions to benefit from their work this Saturday," said Christian Hoffman, communications and development manager at Community Missions. "As a former Boy Scout, it is wonderful to see the next generation of community leaders involved in such a worthwhile endeavor. At the Mission, we are always so thankful of any donations made, and we look forward to seeing what the Niagara community can do on Saturday."

Nationally, the Boy Scouts of America, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and the American Red Cross are collectively asking every American to address the food, shelter and health needs of their community. They say that, through the combined efforts of these organizations and other groups that provide similar service in communities around the country, families will have sufficient food to eat, homelessness can be reduced, and there can be a reduction in the growing number of obese individuals.

Community Missions has provided the Niagara community with a wide range of vital services since 1925. In 2013, CMI provided more than 75,000 meals and nearly 11,000 nights of care within its crisis services programs. Additional agency programs serve adults and youth with psychiatric disabilities, parolees, at-risk youth and other underserved populations in both residential and recovery-oriented settings. For more information, visit www.communitymissions.org.