Boy Scout Troop 596 - Doing Good by Helping Others

In Boy Scouts, "a good turn" refers to the core principle of "Do a Good Turn Daily." It's about making a conscious effort to help others each day, even in small ways, without expecting anything in return. This principle emphasizes the importance of service, community involvement, and helping others.

Boy Scout Troop 596 (Mt. Zion) recently participated in the annual Scouting for Food initiative. Thanks to the generosity of families, neighbors, and friends, the Scouts made the rounds throughout their neighborhood and collected 1,245 food and other much-needed items. All donations were delivered to a local non-profit, Almost Home.

Almost Home is an Oak Lawn food pantry and soup kitchen. Every week, they provide approximately 150 individuals and families with basic living necessities, bus and gas cards, as well as financial assistance to prevent evictions and utility disconnections. www.almosthomechicago.org. Executive Director Jamie Viravec was overcome with emotion when the Scouts arrived with the donations. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude by saying, "Recently, we received the most amazing donation of assorted food items, body care, diapers, baby wipes, and paper products from the very generous Boy Scout Troop 596. This donation couldn’t have come at a better time, as the number of people we see has been steadily increasing, and our inventory was almost depleted! What a true blessing this troop has been to so many people in our community. A BIG heartfelt thank you for your effort and support, Scouts!"

The Scouts have been longtime supporters of Almost Home. They continue to donate to this amazing organization as part of their community service. The troop also assists their Charter organization, Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, with various projects, from the improvement of the community garden, setting up and working the annual Live Nativity, and making monthly lunches for the hungry. In early May, Scout families helped clean up trash from Wolfe Wildlife Refuge as part of the annual Chicago River Day project.

Additionally, the troop sells hot dogs and popcorn from their tent at the Oak Lawn Sunday Concerts on the Green and at National Night Out, hosted by the Oak Lawn Police and Fire Departments.

Be on the lookout for the Troop 596 Scouts marching in this year's Oak Lawn 4th of July Parade, planned for Saturday, June 28th. The parade kicks off at 4:00 p.m. at 95th Street & 49th Avenue (heading West).

Are you interested in hearing more about Boy Scout Troop 596? Please get in touch with our Scoutmaster, John Paul, at 708.203.0055. Our troop meets every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at 10400 S. Kostner Avenue, Oak Lawn.