Servfest Gives Oakdale Schools a Face-Lift

This past Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of Servfest, an afternoon dedicated to community service in Oakdale and nearby schools. 

Volunteers showed up in groups to spend their mornings helping out at , , and Carver Elementary. 

At Skyview, groups arrived at 8:30 a.m. for a four-hour shift of landscaping and miscellaneous duties around the school. 

Inside, members of the group were hard at work assembling shelves, laminating books and replacing bindings. Outside, individuals happily chatted together in the warm morning sun as they pulled weeds, replaced mulch and trimmed trees.

Sandy Famoda, who is a five-year veteran of the Servfest program, re-capped her past years of volunteering as she trimmed shrubs around the parking lot.

“I love doing this. It’s why I come back each year. It’s fun and it helps the schools out a lot,” Famoda said. 

Jeff Treague was planted near the school’s main entrance replacing mulch along the sidewalks. Treague grinned ear to ear as he shoveled mulch into the wheelbarrow next to him.

“I have been doing this for four years,” he said. “Really, I keep coming back because I just love to dig around in the dirt."

According to Pastor John Larson, the church gained an interest in partnering with local schools long before Servfest began.

“We wanted to be a church that has a great interest in the community,” Larson said.  “I think Servfest does that.”

Larson said he approached school officials after learning about similar programs that were happening in other parts of the country. 

“They were a bit cautious at first," he said, "but the relationship has worked great and we will plan to continue that as long as they will have us.” 

According to Larson, there were approximately 200 people that participated in Servfest. He said he anticipates the number will only grow as the years go on.