Santee-Lakeside Rotarians gathered for their annual support of the Santee Santas Foundation, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization bringing comfort and joy to Santee residents by providing food and gifts to those in need especially during the holiday season. Several toy and food drives occur throughout the city with a special emphasis during the Christmas season. Local businesses, schools and community groups participate on an annual basis. The entire program is volunteer dependent and, over the years, a multitude of community residents show up to help make magic happen. Rotarians are at the top of the list.
On December 7, Rotarians created an assembly-line protocol to maximize efficiency and went to work putting together 1000+ cardboard boxes that the Foundation will use to help sort and pack family boxes of food items which will be delivered on a date closer to Christmas. While Rotarians are busy making boxes, community members are in another room sorting food products by category so that each family has a customized box based on family size and need. The following Saturday, volunteers will customize the boxes and make ready for delivery the following weekend where you can see cars lined up down the street as each picks up food boxes, toys and other essential items and personally makes the trek to deliver items to the selected families. The Foundation also provides poinsettias to senior who are shut-ins to ensure they feel the community's Christmas spirit. It is a wonderful example of community helping community or in Rotary words "Making Good Happen Together, with Love, Compassion and Joy".
