Food drive contest needs help
Oakdale offers prizes for biggest donation

Katy Zillmer
staff writer

Oakdale’s Food Drive Contest has gotten off to a slow start, but city staff and North St. Paul Area Food Shelf volunteers are hopeful for a successful outcome.

The contest ends June 30 and bins are set up at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Ave., for the much-needed donations.

Participants who give the most are eligible to win a “Quality of Life” package from the city and should attach their name to their donations.

Oakdale residents can enter the contest as many times as they donate. Any contribution – from a single item to a bag of food or household products – should include the donor’s name.

The city hopes the prizes are an incentive for people to give, says City Clerk Sue Barry.

Suggested donations include canned fruit, juices, boxed potatoes, dry cereals or household items such as paper towel and dish soap.

Linda Zick, volunteer director of the North St. Paul Area Food Shelf, says her organization provided a list of items generally needed.

The annual drive in March generated significant food and monetary donations, but not enough to last through the summer, she says.

Despite high fuel and grocery prices, visits to the food shelf have remained steady.

The number of visits dipped a bit in February, and were the highest in April before decreasing again in May, Zick says.

“The (economic) stimulus packages coming out to people might have made a difference,” she says.

Individuals and families who use the North St. Paul Area Food Shelf commonly do so the first and last week of the month and can come, at the most, six times per year.

The past few years, the general count has been up to 200 households or more per month, Zick says.

The city of Oakdale’s efforts to increase donations couldn’t have come at a better time. Low-income families’ grocery bills spike during the summer months because their children are not receiving lunches at school, so parents seek help from food shelves.

“This will really help over the summer, I know that,” Zick says. “We’re supported very well from the community, especially North St. Paul and Oakdale,”

Visit www.ci.oakdale.mn.us for a full list of suggested food shelf donations.

Prizes in the “Quality of Life” package include one month of free water and sewer service, a tree from the city’s tree farm, recreation program sign-up for up to $20, building permit of up to $75 and many others, also listed on the city’s Web site.

Katy Zillmer can be reached at kzillmer@lillienews.com at 651-748-7822.