Scout collects more than 5,000 pounds of food for local pantries

Warwick - Thomas (T.J.) Hansen, a member of Boy Scout Troop 45 in Warwick, recently conducted a food drive to complete his Eagle Scout leadership project. After the Thanksgiving distribution of food, the Warwick Food Pantry’s shelves were bare. Once the Eagle Board approved the project, Hansen, 15, met with the manager of ShopRite and received a donation of 2,000 grocery bags. Frank’s Pizzeria and J&J Pizzeria donated pizza to feed the hungry volunteers. The LastChance Motorcycle Club donated money to cover beverages and paper products. Hansen and his fellow scouts from Troop 45 as well as non-scout volunteer’s stapled letters to the bags and distributed them to 2,000 homes in Warwick on Dec. 9. The food was to be picked up from the porches and driveways the following Saturday. “Well, that’s when the true spirit of the holiday season amazed us all,” said Clayton Eurich, Troop 45 Committee Chairman. “The phone started ringing right away and Thomas started picking up frozen turkeys and hams that night. The people he met were just as excited about the project as he was. The outpouring of generosity from the community was tremendous. It was truly an experience of a lifetime.” By the following Saturday, more than 5,000 pounds of food, toys, bicycles and $135 in cash was collected. More than 30 volunteers spent most of Dec. 16, collecting, sorting and stocking shelves at the pantry. The pantry shelves were stocked and the overflow was put in boxes for future use. The abundance of food was also shared with the Florida food pantry. Hansen’s project took more than 317 man-hours.