The Stillwater postal area took in over 8,700 pounds of food donations, up from 5,600 lbs. last year, reported Corinne Watson, AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison for the St. Croix Area United Way.

The St. Croix Valley total contributed toward the nearly 70 million pounds of food collected across the United States in what has become the nation\'s largest one-day food drive. This year\'s event was held May 12.

"The local area labor unions were well represented as over 20 volunteers met all of the carrier trucks as they returned to the postal annex and weighed and loaded trucks to transport the donations to the local Valley Outreach Foodshelf," Watson said. "Thanks to the volunteers from the NALC Branch 28, APWU, CWA, AFSCME, Education Minnesota, Lakes & Plains Regional Council of Carpenters and its retirees, and SEIU, the food drive was a huge success."

The drive is especially important because contributions to food shelves often decline over the summer, but demand increases because schools are closed.

Some of the volunteers took a break while loading food donations at the post office in Stillwater. Photo by Corinne Watson