Boy Scout comes to the rescue with big donation to holiday food shelf

COON RAPIDS, Minn. (KMSP) - A Twin Cities Boy Scout had an idea that grew into something much bigger than anyone ever expected. After seven months, his work has now paid off, helping a food basket program that's giving back to those in need around the holidays. 

River Trail Learning Center in Coon Rapids hosts an annual holiday food shelf for about 40 families. Julie Beaufeaux, the school’s social worker, organizes the donations. Just a couple weeks ago, things looked bleak.

“I pulled out my little envelope and said, ‘I have about 300 or 400 dollars right now,’” she said. “I need about $2000 to pull this off.”

Later that same day, 16-year-old Collin Garrison, a special needs student at another school brought what he’d collected for his Eagle Scout project. Beaufeaux knew he was working on something, but never expected his response.

“I walked to the front of the building that day with one little cart,” she said.

Instead, she received two trailers full of food and hygiene products. It ended up weighing 2,400 pounds. He gathered the supplies using money he raised bagging groceries.

“Without him? This wouldn’t have happened,” said Beaufeaux. “This absolutely wouldn’t have happened. This probably would have been the first year I would have had to send a note out to families saying, ‘Sorry, we’re unable to help you at this point.’”

But all thanks to the Boy Scout with a big heart, famine turned feast.