By KIM MORERA | Huskies Patrol Leader
On Saturday, March 8th, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., my patrol—the Huskies—met up at the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica for our Good Turn Trip. Our goal was to sort and package food for those in need, including fire survivors. It was part of our commitment to service, and honestly, it turned out to be way more eye-opening and rewarding than we expected.
When we arrived, we were greeted by Sean, the warehouse manager, who got us started on packing cereal and breakfast foods into 10-pound boxes. My mom, Carolina Morera, took charge of assembling the boxes while Marisol and I organized and filled them. We couldn’t stop laughing at how many Apple Jacks we had—probably around 50 boxes! Meanwhile, Kate and Jaylnn became our “scavengers,” searching the warehouse for extra breakfast items and sorting through bins of donated goods from schools and companies. Even Marisol’s grandma, Pamela Busbee, came along and pitched in, which was awesome.
After the cereal round, we moved on to sorting canned food into labeled categories: tomato products, ready-to-eat meals, vegetables, soups, beans, and fruit. One thing we learned quickly was how important it is to check expiration dates—some donations were really old. We even found a can from 2013! People mean well, but it’s easy to forget how long something’s been sitting in the back of the pantry.
We took a quick break to eat strawberries and packaged crepes, chatted a bit, and then got right back to it. By the end of the morning, we’d sorted over 1,000 cans and lots of miscellaneous items. What started out kind of chaotic turned into a smooth system, with all of us moving confidently around the warehouse. It felt great to be so productive as a team.
This was my last Good Turn Trip as Patrol Leader, and I’m really proud of how it went. We didn’t just show up to check a box—we learned how much work goes into getting donated food ready for people who need it. There’s a whole other side to helping that most people never see, and it felt genuinely meaningful to be a part of it. Supporting the Westside Food Bank made us feel like we were doing something real for our community. Food should be a basic human right, and I’m glad we got to support a place that believes that too.
Parents of fifth- or sixth-graders who want to learn more or visit a Troop 223 meeting, contact Greg Frost at frostfamily@frostinvestigations.com (for boys)
or Scoutmaster Larry Kirven at lkirven@gmail.com (for girls).
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