One Day Food Drive Thursday for Central Minnesota Non-Profits

(KNSI) — Members of several area community groups are having a one day food drive Thursday to benefit the Celebrate Community Project for central Minnesota non-profits.

Members of local Optimist, Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions Clubs are collecting non-perishable food items, along with monetary donations designated to Catholic Charities, Pathways 4 Youth, or the Salvation Army.

Denny Smith, President of the St. Cloud Optimists Club, says the food drive is happening at the perfect time.

“So people can come by drop off their food, or they can make a cash donation. And it’s really, the timing, of course, is good, not only because right now, there’s a lot of people that that are struggling from, you know, from standpoint of availability of food. But other there was another major fall drive, that is not happening this year. So this can be in lieu of that. So we really encourage people to, you know, go to the cabinets, you know, get a box of food, bring it over to Pathways for Youth, and drop it off. Or you can come and make a cash donation.”

Donations will be collected at Pathways for Youth/Youth for Christ from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, October 28th. The address for drop-offs is 203 Cooper Avenue North, St. Cloud.

“This is the first year of an annual project that is spearheaded by the joint international leadership of the four clubs,” said St. Cloud Kiwanis President Brad Gordon Ufer. “This initiative will secure meals and resources to benefit partnering agencies which provides relief to families with food insecurity.”

Smith added that the groups weren’t given much notice, but everyone stepped up to the plate to put it together.

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