Boy Scouts of America Build Bonds Through Service During National Family Week.

Nation's Leading Youth Organization Provides Community Service Opportunities to Strengthen Families

IRVING, Texas -- With the holiday season approaching, more and more Americans will participate in family activities celebrating tradition, togetherness, reflection and gratitude. But for many families, the holiday season is more than a time for enjoying each other, but a time for giving back to their community and those less fortunate. According to a recent study by Family Cares and the Points of Light Foundation, family volunteering increases commitment to the community while also providing quality family time. Donating time to community efforts through volunteering as a family also provides a means for parents to show their children the importance of helping others in need and the positive effects of giving and sharing time and talent with the community.1

This November 19 through 25, the Boy Scouts of America will recognize National Family Week by encouraging Scouts and their families to get active in giving back to their community together - as a family. Boy Scout units across the country will incorporate family bonding and community service in the weeks preceding the Thanksgiving Holiday. For example, seven councils in southern California have coordinated their annual "Scouting for Food" food drive, collecting canned goods throughout the community to donate to food banks throughout California during a time of critical need. Committed to "helping people at all times," BSA has provided more than 3.8 million service hours through projects such as Scouting For Food, since 2004.

"Our aim is to build character, citizenship and a sense of civic duty in our youth and all Scouting participants," said Rick Cronk, National President, BSA. "By integrating family values and activities with community service, the BSA hopes to create new traditions and lay foundations for tomorrow."

Each month, Boy Scout councils across the United States serve Americans through the Good Turn for America initiative, which encourages Scouts to "Do a Good Turn Daily" through a variety of community service projects. Good Turn for America is a collaboration with The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and thousands of other community organizations that focuses the power of volunteerism on important community issues such as hunger, shelter, and health. Started in 2004, Good Turn for America has generated more than 3.8 million hours of service to date.

Serving over 4.5 million young people between 7 and 20 years of age with more than 300 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the Boy Scouts of America is the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. For more information on the BSA, please visit www.scouting.org.

1 America's Family Volunteers, Independent Sector, 2001