HUNGRY GIVE THANKS FOR FOOD COLLECTION EFFORTS

When you talk turkey, most people think of a bountiful Thanksgiving feast, complete with a golden browned, stuffed bird. But many people throughout the region are not so lucky. They don't know where their next meal will come from, much less the bounty of a Thanksgiving feast.

Through the generosity of the region, many families will have food on the table this winter. A number of food drives, including Scouting for Food, have stocked area food pantries to face the difficult months ahead.

Area Boy Scouts, leaders and community benefactors should be pleased by these efforts. The results of the food collection were overwhelming with nearly 13,900 cans of food collected in Cape Girardeau County alone. That's a remarkable increase over the 11,000 cans collected last year. The Boy Scouts teamed up with the Area Wide United Way this year. More than 1,000 Boy Scouts and leaders participated. Food donations were distributed to FISH, the Salvation Army, Women's Safe House and the Gibson Center.

Perhaps the success of these food campaigns is the fact that donations remain here in the area. Young and old alike should feel proud of the personal difference they have made in a hungry person's life.

Community good will has been the key to such food pantries as FISH, a non-denominational program supported by area churches. Last year, FISH provided more than 3,000 bags of food to more than 1,000 families. FISH gives a seven-day supply of food to people in need.

Through FISH and Scouting for Food, each and every one of us can make a difference in a hungry person's life.