Sammamish boy scouts dive deep into service during holidays

On Monday Nov. 14, several Boy Scouts of America troops in the Sammamish area worked together to make nearly 2,300 sandwiches to donate to Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. 

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission is a faith-based nonprofit that serves the homeless population in the Greater Seattle region. They assist in providing food, shelter, and long term recovery programs, while using religious messages to spread hope. The sandwiches are donated directly to them to serve the homeless. 

The Boy Scouts’ sandwich-making night is an annual event that has taken place for over eight years. This year’s event was hosted at Mary Queen of Peace Church. 

“[Community service projects] are something we have had a lot of success at, and it’s something that’s really fun for our scouts to do,” said Davina Gruenstein, 49, committee chair for Troops 571 and 5749.

The troops regularly conduct service projects, Gruenstein said, and for this event they acquired materials from the scouts and their families, including loaves of bread, meat, and cheese. The scouts make it fun by competing with each other on who can make the most sandwiches.

This event encourages “working together and helping the community,” said Gruenstein.

Following the holiday season, Boy Scout troops across the plateau will be hosting their 38th annual Christmas Tree Drive fundraiser on Jan. 7, where they recycle residents’ old trees to turn them into wood chips. 

Anyone in the city of Sammamish or Issaquah Highlands who wants to recycle their tree must place it curbside in front of their residence by 8:00 a.m., and include a suggested $18-$28 donation per tree.  

More information about the Scout Tree Drive can be found here, including ways to donate money.