([ Portland], [Or], [02/07/05])—Local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will be participating in the country's largest door-to-door donation drive Saturday, March 5. Goodwill/Good Turn Day has been an annual event since 1951 when the Cascade Pacific Council, in cooperation with the East Portland Rotary International Club and Goodwill Industries, spearheaded this unique community service project.
On this 54 th Good Turn Day, Scouts will deliver empty collection bags throughout local neighborhoods prior to March 5, or early in the morning the day of the event. Donors are asked to fill the bags with reusable clothing and household goods and place filled bags on their front porch for pick-up on Good Turn Day. This project covers 25 counties and mobilizes Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from Longview, Washington to Albany, Oregon and from Tillamook to The Dalles, Oregon. This widespread event benefits the community in a variety of ways:
- More than 90 cents of every dollar received from the sale of donated goods goes towards the training and employment of people with disabilities/special needs. That's no small feat considering Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette expects to serve more than 7,000 individuals through its job services programs this year.
- Donations create a win-win situation - donors recycle items they no longer need while receiving a tax deduction. Goodwill Industries turns donations into revenue, Goodwill employees become more self-sufficient. The community benefits as Goodwill programs remove people from welfare programs, and disabled individuals are provided the tools needed to become productive citizens. The Boy Scouts are able to continue to fulfill their mission of serving others by helping to instill values in young people and in other ways prepare them to make positive choices over their lifetime while achieving their full potential.
Photo and interview opportunities are available of Scouts and Scout leaders in your area before, after, and during the event. Follow a troop of young Scouts picking up collections, or witness thousands of bags being unloaded at the Goodwill Superstore on SE Grand or one of any of the 115 collection sites. Please contact Jim Hill at 503-225-5767.
About the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America
The Cascade Pacific Council ranks among the nation’s largest Scout councils (more than 300) in terms of membership. The Cascade Pacific Council serves more than 48,153 youth in 18 counties in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, and is supported by more than 15,525 adult volunteer mentors.
Local Boy Scouts of America Accomplishments
This last year (2004), Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council reached out to the community and achieved the following outstanding accomplishments:
Goodwill/Good Turn – Scouts collected 368,507 pounds of usable clothing and household goods for Goodwill Industries in 2004. Over the past ten years, 4.6 million pounds have been collected.
Camping Program – TheCascade Pacific Council has one of the strongest outdoor camping programs in the country, camping 11,714 boys at seven summer resident camps and ten day camps last year.
Scouting for Food – Scouts collected 450,000 pounds of food for local hunger relief agencies through the Scouting for Food drive in December 2004.
Guy Miller Tree Plant – Over 2,500 youth and family members planted nearly 37,500 tree seedlings in our forests and neighborhoods in support of the Guy Miller Tree Plant program. Since 1977, this program has accounted for the planting of more than 2 million trees.
Violence Free Spring Break – In partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, the Police Activities League, Multnomah County, Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations, the Cascade Pacific Council has planned, coordinated and staffed special events like “Violence Free Spring Break.” Over 375 youth were served for this event alone. These events use Scouting facilities and curriculums to deliver positive, values-based programs.
Outreach – Over $21,305 in scholarships was awarded to 486 youth members for summer camp.
Harris Interactive Study– Men who were Scouts for five or more years as boys are more likely than men with no Scouting experience:
- Graduate from high school (98% versus 83%)
- Graduate from college (40% versus 16%)
- Earn annual household incomes of $50,000+ (33% versus 17%).
Visit www.cpcbsa.org or call 503-226-3423 to learn more about the Boy Scouts of America.
Boy Scouts of America - Connecting youth with communities and families.
This page last modified
February 16, 2005
