BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA’S HIGHEST HONOR
HELPING THE HUNGRY
1He already has nearly 900 nonperishable food items stacked in boxes around his home from collections at his school and at Wal-Mart on Elm Road in Warren.
Future food collections will be at William’s IGA grocery store in Vienna, at Santisi’s IGA Supercenter in Girard, and at St. Rose Church in Girard.
At the collection points, Kocher and other scouts from Boy Scout Troop 42, which is sponsored by Church Hill United Methodist Church, pass out fliers asking customers to buy extra canned goods for the drive. They also accept money donations.
All the food and money will be turned over to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley. The food bank purchases food and distributes it to 164 hunger relief organizations in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. The food bank is now feeding 9,100 people per week in the tri-county area, up from 7,400 last year, officials said.
Items that are particularly needed include canned vegetables, canned tuna fish, canned meats, peanut butter and cereals, said Kocher, the son of Cindy and John Kocher.
Kocher, who said he was surprised by the number of people Second Harvest helps feed each day, has also enlisted the help of family and friends to help sort, count and lug boxes of food items, pass out fliers, make posters and provide transportation.
So far, the food drive has been more successful than anticipated.
His goal of 1,000 nonperishable food items has nearly been met and he said he is now aiming higher, perhaps the 2,000 items he originally considered.
By working toward becoming an Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank, Kocher is continuing a family tradition.
His brother, John, 22, a senior at Baldwin-Wallace College, is an Eagle Scout; and his sister, Sarah, 20, a junior at Bowling Green State University, earned Girl Scouts of America’s highest honor, the Gold Award.
As busy as he is with scouting, Kocher is also active in school and church.
At Liberty High School, he plays French horn in the band and marching band, and participates in soccer, wrestling and track and field.
He is a member of the Next Valley Youth Group and the Orbit Heaven Puppet Ministry at Pleasant Valley Evangelical Church.
alcorn@vindy.com